Anna Kendrick’s film, “Woman of the Hour,” left me disturbed and haunted. As a young woman in our society, you never know when you will stumble across a man without a conscience who chooses to commit violent acts against women.

This film is based on the true story of Rodney Alcala, serial predator and murderer, who endears himself to unsuspecting victims and then brutally ends their lives. Alcala knows how to present himself, he is attractive, and always says the right things.

One of the most chilling aspects of the film is how drastically the killer’s calm demeanor contrasts with the horrific crimes he commits. The audience is left to wonder why he commits these heinous crimes. Is he filling an emotional void? In this film, Kendrick could have done a better job unraveling his emotional and mental state.

“The Dating Game”:

Kendrick makes her directorial debut and plays Sheryl, an aspiring actress who ends up on “The Dating Game” with serial killer, Rodney Alcala as one of the contestants and bachelors. “The Dating Game” was a gameshow in the seventies, where a single woman was given a choice between three bachelors after speaking with them. While “The Dating Game” is part of the film, there’s a much more distressing story that unfolds throughout.

Image Credit: Gage Skidmore from Wikimedia Commons

Daniel Zovatto plays Alcala, and Zovatto is outstanding in this role. He simultaneously radiates creepiness and charisma. Kendrick gives us insight into the day-to-day life of this serial killer, which includes a full-time job, where he engages in casual conversations with coworkers.

Even the police are charmed by Alcala when they interview him and ultimately release him to resume his killing spree. The police fail to investigate Alcala fully, which allows him to murder more than 100 women after successfully deceiving them. We will never know exactly how many women Alcala victimized. Growing up, Alcala did well in school and was popular with his peers. During adulthood, he was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and malignant narcissism. Alcala appears emotionally balanced when he first interacts with his victims, and then mid-interaction, he becomes psychotically unhinged. The audience observes a change in his eyes as his mental state transitions. Once Zovatto switches into predator mode, nothing can stop his murderous rampage.

Praise as Manipulation:

Alcala lures his victims by telling them how beautiful they are. He intentionally targets women who are seeking words of affirmation. The women whom he attacks are marginalized for the most part.

One of his victims, a runaway teen, is stealing coins from a laundromat prior to being preyed upon by Alcala. He tells the victims he will capture their beauty with his camera since he is a photographer. Then, he takes them to scenic spots in the desert and mountains to photograph them. He is a ferocious predator capturing his prey with the click of his camera. The audience sees the victims eerily framed within Alcala’s lens before he takes their lives.

Forced Intimacy:

Through manipulation, Alcala creates a seemingly intimate connection with these women before murdering them. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 34 percent of women victims were killed by an intimate partner, whereas only 6 percent of men were victims of homicide committed by an intimate partner. By definition, intimacy means private and personal.

Alcala definitely managed to get private and personal with his victims prior to abusing them. Giving compliments that are insincere is a tactic some men use to create a sense of forced intimacy, and Alcala certainly used this strategy to his advantage.

Image Credit: Huntington Beach Police Department from Wikimedia Commons

Kendrick makes an interesting creative choice; she obscures the attacks by filming them at a distance or very close up and blurred. She acknowledges the sad fact that at times women must come off as submissive in order to escape dangerous situations. In the end, a teen runaway successfully manages to escape death by smiling and laughing with Alcala after he attacks her. She pretends that she is willing to accept future abuse from him, and then she escapes and calls the cops.

The Victim-Perpetrator Relationship:

This was a solid movie, but it would have been more captivating if Kendrick spent less time developing her character, the aspiring actress, and more time exploring the complexities of the victim-perpetrator relationship and the mind of a serial killer. The topic of violence should be given even more time and attention in this film, rather than focusing on the lifestyle of an aspiring actress in Los Angeles. Why do these women crave Alcala’s attention and positive reinforcement?

How was Alcala able to carry on a seemingly regular life while committing countless murders? After the film ends, many questions are left lingering in my mind.

Image Credit: Mika Baumeister from Unsplash