WOMAN OF THE HOUR Trailer (2024) Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto

WOMAN OF THE HOUR Trailer (2024) Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto

WOMAN OF THE HOUR Trailer (2024) Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto
© 2024 - VVS Films
"We're gonna have a great time together, Cheryl." VVS Films in Canada has unveiled the first trailer for an indie thriller film titled Woman of the Hour, which is the feature directorial debut of Anna Kendrick. This premiered at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival last year, and still doesn't even have a US release set yet. Strangely a year later and no announcement. VVS will debut this in Canada and it has a release set in a few other countries, but that's it so far. Based on a true story, Rodney Alcala was a killer in the midst of a killing spree when he brazenly took part in, and won a date on, the popular TV game show "The Dating Game." Kendrick also stars in this as Cheryl Bradshaw, the woman who appears on the show that night. TIFF says the film explores the idea that "when you’re confronted by the rage of men, the only way to make it out alive is to play the game." This stars Daniel Zovatto, Nicolette Robinson, Tony Hale, Kathryn Gallagher, and Kelley Jakle. This looks damn good, offering a uniquely original and very cinematic take on this story.

Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Anna Kendrick's film Woman of the Hour, via YouTube:

Woman of the Hour Poster

Original festival intro from TIFF: "In the 1970s Rodney Alcala went on a murder spree, luring women by posing as a photographer looking for models. Though already a registered sex offender and recently released from prison, he infamously appeared on 'The Dating Game', a show that introduced a set of three bachelors each week, hidden from view as a woman asked them amusing questions before choosing a winner to go on an all-expenses-paid trip with her... While this confrontation serves as the spine of the film, we’re taken backward and forward through time, exploring Alcala's murders, with a performance by Daniel Zovatto that captures the disquieting hubris of a man who knows he's operating in a world too skewed to catch him." 😱

Woman of the Hour is directed by American actress turned filmmaker Anna Kendrick, making her feature directorial debut with this after executive producing a few films, including Alice, Darling. The screenplay is written by Ian MacAllister McDonald. It's produced by Anna Kendrick, Roy Lee, Miri Yoon, J.D. Lifshitz, Raphael Margules. This initially premiered at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival last fall. VVS Films will debut Woman of the Hour in Canadian cinemas later in 2024. There's no final US release date set yet - stay tuned.
The Anna Kendrick-directed thriller Woman of the Hour is headed to Netflix here in the United States, and an official international trailer for the film has arrived this week.

In 1978, a serial killer appeared on live TV as a bachelor on The Dating Game. Director (and star) Anna Kendrick tells the tale in Woman of the Hour. Watch the trailer below.

Stay tuned for a U.S. premiere date, expected on Netflix later this year.

Meagan Navarro explains in her four-star review for Bloody Disgusting, “Anna Kendrick takes aim at the true crime serial killer story in her feature directorial debut, Woman of the Hour. A charming, kitschy ’70s set exploration of gender dynamics quickly gives way to an unnerving, suspenseful stranger-than-fiction tale of serial killer and rapist Rodney Alcala and his bizarre appearance as a bachelor on “The Dating Game.” Kendrick’s incisive vision, blending horror and humor with nonlinear storytelling, makes for an unshakable debut.

“Kendrick pulls double duty for her debut, also starring as Cheryl Bradshaw, a struggling actress trying to carve out a career in California. Cheryl’s failed attempts to win over casting directors and gently rebuff her pushy neighbor put her at her wit’s end. That’s when her agent decides to land her a spot as the bachelorette on the popular live TV show “The Dating Game.” But it’s not just the typical stressors and anxieties of getting thrust into a live show with overbearing personalities to worry about; one of the eligible bachelors on her episode happens to be brazen killer Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto) in the midst of a ruthless murder spree.”

Meagan raves, “Kendrick’s directorial debut dazzles with its incisive commentary, and the first-time director demonstrates clever instincts in knowing when to weaponize dark humor and when to let the dramatic moments breathe for maximum impact. Kendrick tosses out some of the more familiar serial killer conventions, and yet nothing is lost in terms of intensity and nerve-fraying sequences. It makes for an authentic, poignant, and unsettling debut.”

Nicolette Robinson and Autumn Best also star.

Ian MacAllister McDonald wrote Woman of the Hour, a Black List script that had previously been optioned – but ultimately ditched – by Netflix. The film has truly come full circle.
The trailer for the highly anticipated true-crime thriller Woman of the Hour was released Tuesday morning, August 13, and there’s no doubt it will send shivers down your spine.

Originally titled The Dating Game, Woman of the Hour marks the directorial debut of Oscar-nominated actress Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect). Along with directing, Kendrick stars in the movie as Cheryl Bradshaw, a woman who wins a date with an unknown serial killer when they both appear on a 1978 episode of The Dating Game. The movie uses real events for inspiration.

Serial killer Rodney Alcala was born in San Antonio in 1943 and lived in the Alamo City until he moved with his family to Mexico when he was eight. At the time of his appearance on the dating show, Alcala had already murdered several women and had been arrested for the rape of an 8-year-old girl.
For her directorial debut, Anna Kendrick tackles a true crime thriller based on the infamous serial killer Rodney Alcala, titled Woman Of The Hour. Kendrick also plays the role of Cheryl Bradshaw, with Daniel Zovatto who will portray the murderous serial killer, Alcala.
Kendrick masterfully recreates the chilling encounter where Bradshaw meets Alcala on a dating game show “The Dating Game,” where the two match, resulting in Alcala winning the show. Kendrick uses the terrifying situation to examine misogyny at its worst and most extreme with how Alcala preys on Bradshaw and his other victims. The film premiered earlier this year and earned a massive wave of acclaim for Kendrick, sitting at an astounding 90 to 100 percent from critics on Rotton Tomatoes. Critics praised Kendrick’s abilities to handle the non-linear narrative and balance the joy and humor of Bradshaw with the abject horror of Alcala’s actions.

Woman Of The Hour has no confirmed release date yet or distribution plans announced, but fans can expect to see more from Kendrick as a director soon while her other continuous screen appearances are still set to hit theaters. The film’s writer Nick Schagar explains that this project is “chillingly sharp and canny as its deranged fiend.”

TagsAnna KendrickDaniel ZovattoNew Directors/New FilmsRodney AlcalaTop StoryTrue CrimeWoman of the Hour
The official trailer for Anne Kendrick’s directorial debut, Woman of the Hour has been released. Also starring Kendrick, she is joined in the film by Daniel Zovatto, Nicolette Robinson, Kathryn Gallagher, Kelley Jakle, Autumn Best, and Tony Hale.

“Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut examines uncomfortable gender dynamics with the stranger-than-fiction story of Rodney Alcala’s appearance on the titular game show in the middle of his 1970s murder spree.”

The film will be released to Netflix later this year. This film looks insane and I can’t wait to check it out!

Source: Netflix