Critics Are Saying Woman Of The Hour Isn’t Your Typical Serial Killer Thriller, As Anna Kendrick Makes Her ‘Unsettling’ Directorial Debut
Anna Kendrick has done so much in her career as an actor, including earning nominations for a Tony, Emmy and Academy Award. And now she's added another feather to her cap. Woman of the Hour, which hits the 2024 Netflix schedule on October 18, is Kendrick's directorial debut in which she also stars as bachelorette Cheryl Bradshaw. The based-on-a-true-crime thriller follows serial killer Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto), who amidst his murder spree was a contestant on The Dating Game. Critics were able to screen the film ahead of its release, so what are they saying about Kendrick in this new role?
Fans have been excited about Woman of the Hour since its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, and now that it's hit the 2024 movie release calendar , let the critics help you decide if you want to make this part of your weekend bingefest. Our own Corey Chichizola calls it a " triumphant masterclass in tension ," writing:
David Fear of Rolling Stone notes the way Anna Kendrick has taken a story about a serial killer and made it a statement on the way society treated — and continues to treat — women. Fear says:
Ella Kemp of Empire rates it 3 out of 5 stars, saying that Anna Kendrick shows promise as a director by making a serial-killer thriller that's less about the murderer and more a tribute to the voices he silenced. Kemp continues:
Anna McKibbin of the AV Club gives Woman of the Hour a B, calling the director's debut effort "ambitious," as she's not satisfied to simply gesture toward the magnitude of misogyny. In McKibbin's words:
Kristy Puchko of Mashable , however, says Anna Kendrick fumbles her attempt to tell a true crime story by trying to blend her signature humor into the murderer's grisly tale. By using cliched setups to tell the stories of Rodney Alcala's victims, they are reduced to cautionary tales and an uncomplicated "all men are bad" narrative, Puchko says, writing:
