Woman of the Hour

Woman of the Hour is another festival drop by Netflix but the most intriguing part of this movie for me is that Anna Kendrick is not only the star, but the director. When they lost the original director Anna pitched herself for the role and she got it. I love this for her. I love the vibe and aesthetic of the film from what I have seen so far so let’s get into it.

So our story centers around a struggling actor who gets the only job she can, on a shitty dating show. In a very different cut visually we see a serial killer.

Cheryl is already being sexualized. The director wants her to wear something more “flattering”. The films theme is very clear. We are immediately thrust into a story where women have to watch their every move. Where their success depends on their looks and their willingness to be submissive. And where you feel like you are in danger all the time. This is the world we still live in. Setting this in the 70s because it's based on a true story is great and all. But I don’t want us to get confused. This isnt some detached past. It's very current and very very relevant.

A woman in the studio audience recognizes this serial killer.

LOVE this makeup lady that basically tells Cheryl to do whatever she wants because she can’t be fired mid-show. I love that she then makes these boys sweat. She makes the creepy one explain his creepy behavior. She straight up asks “what are girls for?”, and of course 2 of the 3 bachelors screw up their answers.

We are nearly at the halfway point and we are still on the show. So lets see how much of this is off the “show”.

This poor woman from the audience tries to get someone to help her. But she is, of course, treated like she is crazy and she is put in some back room where she is kept waiting for no one. The creepy bachelor also tries to warn her about her choice.

I like the portrayal of the serial killer in the sense that he seems very unassuming. He is very charming and charismatic. He has normal hobbies and he's talented, makes it very easy for him to lure women away. And that is how most serial killers are. The people who know them and the people around them don’t suspect anything most of the time.

We only really spend act 3 off of the set, I like that most of the film takes place on set, in the actual dating game. When they leave the restaurant you can feel Cheryl’s unease. The eeriness was so well conveyed. And when he asked her to tell him her number I immediately got a knot in my stomach. I felt the fear that I have felt so many times when walking in quiet places at night.

Then we have this poor girl screaming at the police to do their fucking jobs. And damn I’m sure every woman that has been sexually assaulted feels that in their gut. May I direct your attention to the 12,500 unrest rape kits that resided just in Los Angeles last year.

The jumping back and forth through time is a really great narrative touch as well. We are seeing his deep psychological issues and his past victims while also seeing him set his eyes on a new target.

Ooof the scene where one of his last victims is in the car and her face is all busted up and she is literally covered in blood, and they reach an intersection where a man in a truck looks directly at her and then drives away was especially brutal.

The part that filled me with the most anger was the tags at the end that told the real story. This man was arrested…and then released on bail, he murdered two more people AND THEN WAS GIVEN THE CHANCE FOR AN ACQUITTAL. Also he was convicted of several murders but no charges for the rape? Our justice system makes me want to leap off a building.

The movie clocks in at a really tight and well paced hour and a half. My favorite length for a well done film. I think Anna did an incredible job directing this movie. Seeing directed by Anna Kendrick fills my heart with so much joy. I’ve been a fan of hers for so long and to see her grow in her art and the things that she can do just makes me so happy. It was an incredible movie. It was tense and scary and there was so much real fear mixed in with the narrative and the acting. She did an incredible job and I really want to see streaming services kind of create their own awards show or something so that more of these movies can get the recognition that they deserve.