The new Anna Kendrick film Woman of the Hour is finally out on Netflix, and you might be wondering whether it is based on a true story.
The crime thriller follows the story of an aspiring actress in 1970s Los Angeles and a serial killer amid a years-long murder spree, whose lives intersect when they’re cast on an episode of The Dating Game.
Is Woman of the Hour Based on a True Story?
Yes, Woman of the Hour is based on a horrific true story that occurred during the 1970s.
Serial killer Rodney Alcala (played by Daniel Zovatto) did make an appearance in The Dating Game while committing a string of murders across the country. Most of the victims (if not all) were women.
Alcala won the episode of The Dating Game where he appeared and was linked with Cheryl Bradshaw (played by Anna Kendrick). However, Cheryl refused to go out with him after taping the episode as she found him to be creepy.
Bradshaw already sensed during the taping of The Dating Game that something was off with Alcala. Her instinct was right. After he was rejected by Bradshaw, Alcala committed more murders.
Alcala was eventually arrested and convicted of the murders and rape he committed in California and New York. While he was linked to eight murders, it was suggested that his actual number of victims may have reached as high as 130.
He died in 2021 due to unspecified natural causes while in prison at the age of 77. Meanwhile, Bradshaw's current whereabouts are unknown but she is reportedly living in a private life with her family.
Anna Kendrick on Directing Woman of the Hour
Aside from starring in the film, Woman of the Hour also marked Kendrick's directorial debut.
In an interview with Netflix's Tudum, Kendrick explained why she decided to choose this project as her directorial debut and how the material resonated with her.
"I really like the complicated journey of a woman who is shrinking herself and being very pleasing and then manages to rebel and take back some power," she explained.
"I love the fact that it isn’t as simple as, ‘Oh, she asserts herself and everything works out great.’ Because this is the bargain we’re making every day: How much do I live authentically, and how much danger does that actually put me in?"
Kendrick's intention with the film in the end is to shed light on the victims.
"There are so many heroes in this story, but the heroes were outnumbered and outgunned by basically incompetence and negligence and a culture that did not prioritize victims," she said.
"I’m not really interested in the real Rodney. I was more interested in trying to depict the kind of experience that we are more likely to have."
What do you think of the film? Let us know in the comments!
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