Woman of the Hour (2024) is directed by Anna Kendrick and stars Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto, Autumn Best, Nicolette Robinson, Tony Hale, Pete Holmes, Kathryn Gallagher, Kelly Jakle, Matt Visser, Jedidiah Goodacre, and Dylan Schmid. The film is based on the true story of Sheryl Bradshaw (Kendrick), a single woman who appears on the hit 70s television show, The Dating Game, eventually choosing a man (Zovatto) harboring a deadly secret. 

Although this is a stronger showcase for Kendrick as a director, she works as a serviceably likable lead. The character is often witty and says the kinds of things you often want female leads to say in these types of films. Daniel Zovatto as the movie’s skin-crawling killer finds a great balance between darkly alluring and grossly unsettling. This is a great showcase and I would like to see him cast more frequently. The supporting cast is developed well enough and the performances themselves are nothing to complain about, the problem is that almost every male character is painted to be a soulless a-hole who treats women like crap. Other than one turn at the very end that works in a certain character’s favor, the only male here who treats women with respect is a serial killer. I just feel that it slightly strains the credibility of stark realism that the rest of the film achieves. It’s also simply an approach/message that feels common at this point; It requires a bit more nuance.

The movie has a great sense of building tension and scenes of violence are genuinely unnerving. The true story element works to the movie’s advantage and is immediately hard to resist. It’s fun to see how silly these old dating are by today’s standards and Kendrick keeps it all pretty engaging, moving nicely between dating show fun and traditional horror fare. On top of this, the dialogue feels mostly authentic and keeps the viewer engaged across the efficient 95-minute runtime. 

The script unfortunately stumbles when it comes to having a clear, overarching theme. In other words, I’m not sure what the movie is trying to say. It plays things mostly straight except for the feeling that it’s trying to say something about toxic masculinity. It also lands on the all too common idea that the serial killer character could have avoided his path if only he was shown some love and care from the people around him. Thankfully, the film is ripe with subtle horror influences such as Alfred Hitchcock and Peeping Tom (1960). It is just one of the many signals that Kendrick seems to truly understand the roots of the genre she’s working within. 

Overall, this is a decently compelling serial killer thriller that distinguishes itself in the genre due to its game show elements. Thematically, it’s a bit of a mess and struggles to find anything interesting to say. Thankfully, the strong performances and satisfying pace result in a movie that’s easy to recommend to someone who enjoys the genre. On top of this, the true-story element consistently works to amplify the scares. B