Woman of the Hour finds disturbing tension in the contrast between an entertainment show's cheerful surface and the danger of one of its contestants. Anna Kendrick's directing debut is assured, keeping the victims' experience central to the thriller.
Kendrick also plays Cheryl Bradshaw, whose encounter with Rodney Alcala at The Dating Game becomes the film's focal point. Other scenes reveal the threat behind his public manner, making the apparently harmless exchanges increasingly uncomfortable.
Daniel Zovatto gives Alcala a charming facade that conceals brutality. The performance is unsettling because the danger does not announce itself cleanly. Kendrick makes Cheryl's growing mistrust tangible, bringing viewers close to the uncertainty of the encounter.
Bright studio images contrast with the more threatening material around them. Sound, including the repeated click of a camera, helps create pressure without turning everything into spectacle. The late-1970s setting is atmospheric without prettifying the events.
For me, the film's strength lies in its examination of misogyny and the conditions that allow a threatening man to appear acceptable. The suspense remains gripping, but the point is not only to make a killer fascinating. Kendrick balances tension with attention to the people facing the danger, creating a disturbing and thoughtful thriller.