Written by Lara Rosales
Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut is as perfect as one can imagine a directorial debut to be. Even though Woman of the Hour isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, it is a great approach to what movies based on true crimes can and should be. Truthfully, the film takes a different route than what most true-crime-based movies or shows have taken recently, and that is a breath of fresh air (if one could even have one of those while watching this content).
True crime fictionalization exists because, for centuries (and centuries to come), humans have been attracted to trying to understand why and how someone could do something so terrible. Whether it’s murder, assault, kidnapping, or any horrific act, we seek to understand how the mind behind those crimes works. However, in recent years, this goal of trying to understand has pushed directors, show runners, and screenwriters to romanticize the criminals and their crimes without regard for the victims involved. This is a big no-no when handling true crime stories.
Kendrick’s movie, however, is far from romanticizing Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto) or his crimes. On the contrary, it focuses on bringing his victims to life, giving them a storyline and the respect they deserve after having died or nearly died in his hands.
*Spoilers ahead*
Woman of the Hour magnificently makes the viewer feel uneasy and uncomfortable throughout the entire movie. By immediately starting with one of Alcala’s murders, the film sets the mood for the remainder of it, keeping us on edge and tense for 95 minutes. Even though we know more murders and assaults are to come, the tension doesn’t leave our bodies. No one can truly be prepared for what the movie will show.
The murder and attack scenes aren’t as explicit as other true crime movies have made them out to be. This is a respectful choice toward the victims and their families. While it’s important to tell what happened to them, it is not necessary to go into the gruesome details of the crimes.
Instead of delivering extremely graphic scenes that could make the audience feel uneasy, the movie utilizes sound effects and lighting to create that feeling. Special sound is used in key scenes to create an ominous setting that tells us something terrible is about to happen. This keeps us on our toes, tensed, and ready to react to the worst crimes.
The same ominous mood can be felt throughout the film with the dark lighting. There is only more light in the scenes when we see the characters on The Dating Shrealizesells us they are supposed to be having a good time. That contrasts with the darkness that surrounds Laura (Nicolette Robinson) as she realizes the man who raped and killed her best friend is bachelor number three.
These elements of Woman of the Hour help us always see Alcala as a creepy killer. Unlike what other showrunners or directors have tried to do, there isn’t a single moment in which we feel bad for him. The only time that he is seen as “vulnerable” is when he is crying next to his last victim. However, the crying doesn’t do anything for the audience. We can still see the pain he has inflicted on Amy (Autumn Best), and we pray he finally gets caught – which he does. There is absolutely no sympathy for him or romanticization of who he is.
If there were one thing that could have been different to help add to that uneasy feeling, it would be the sequence in which the flashbacks of his murders are introduced. It might have had more impact on the audience if Laura realizing who he is during The Dating Show was one of the first things we saw. Interlacing the rest of the flashbacks from that point on could have added to the tension and uncomfortableness we feel throughout the movie. It could have also been a great way to introduce the story to someone without any idea what Alcala had done.
Bringing true crime to the screen can be complicated. As much as most people love to see it, it must be done with the utmost respect for the victims, survivors, and their families. Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, Woman of the Hour, does precisely that. Ian McDonald, the screenwriter, must also be congratulated for crafting a story that doesn’t make the young generations of social media users go into a frenzy about another serial killer.
Photo credits to Screen Daily, The Guardian, and Rolling Stone.