Loosely based on the true story of serial killer Rodney Acala, Woman of the Hour is set in 1978, when an aspiring actress and Acala cross paths in Los Angeles while participating in “The Dating Game”.
Anna Kendrick, who also directs the film, portrays Cheryl Bradshaw, an actress still trying to land her big break. When her agent gets her an appearance on “The Dating Game”, a popular game show from the 1970s, Cheryl reluctantly agrees.
The show does not want anything genuine from Cheryl. They want a titillating Q&A between her and her three potential suitors to drive ratings and please the audience. The ridiculousness of the premise finally pushes Cheryl to ask quick, biting questions of each bachelor, throwing all but one off their game as they struggle to match wits with her. But Bachelor No. 3 seems to have all the right answers, and his smooth charm makes him the obvious choice to sweep Cheryl off her feet.
Unfortunately for Cheryl, Bachelor No. 3 just so happens to be Rodney Acala, a man who, by now, had already raped and murdered at least three women before his appearance on the game show. The film jumps around in time to reveal how Rodney used flattery and empathy to lure his victims into trusting him just long enough for him to attack them. Daniel Zovatto plays Acala as a man you would probably initially enjoy having a beer with, but then, when he’s triggered, there’s an eerie shift within him that would make anyone uneasy.
The most harrowing moment of the entire film occurs in the opening scene, when Acala is photographing a newly pregnant woman. He strangles her, revives her with CPR, and goes in for the kill again. Beyond this, Kendrick cuts away before showing the true extent of Acala’s depravity. It’s a respectable decision because it’s clear that Woman of the Hour is more of a tribute to the victims than an exploitation.
So many people failed the women who died at the hands of Acala, and this point is driven home when, again, Cheryl asks the three bachelors – what are girls for? The men stammer, flounder, and bullshit their way through their answers. Law enforcement, as well as a security guard on the show, dismisses a victim’s friend who recognizes Acala on the show. Even Cheryl’s neighbor, who is the epitome of Good Guy, reveals there are ulterior motives behind his kindness.
Woman of the Hour is not exactly a heart-pounding thriller revolving around the murderous exploits and capture of a deeply disturbed man. Instead, it exposes the misogynistic attitude of society that not only allowed Acala to evade capture for so long, but enabled him as well.
