Summary

• In Woman of the Hour, Anna Kendrick stars as Cheryl Bradshaw, who unknowingly wins a date with serial killer Rodney Alcala.
• The film, based on a true story, explores Alcala's chilling behavior and his stint on a dating show.
• Woman of the Hour has earned critical acclaim, despite distribution challenges, and delves into systemic misogyny and violence.

The Kendrick in the lead role, the cast also includes Daniel Zovatto, Nicolette Robinson, Tony Hale, Kathryn Gallagher, Kelley Jakle, and Autumn Best.

Now, VVS Films has released the first official trailer for Woman of the Hour. Watch it below:

The trailer follows Kendrick as Cheryl Bradshaw, who appears as a contestant on The Dating Game and unknowingly wins a date with the serial killer Rodney Alcala. The date eventually appears to turn violent, combined with a montage of what appears to be some of Alcala's other victims.

Woman Of The Hour's True Story Explained

& How Anna Kendrick Captures Its Incredible True Story

Rodney Alcala was a real serial killer who operated between 1968 and 1979 and, while he has only been conclusively linked to eight murders, it is estimated that he killed as many as 130. In 1978, in the midst of his killing spree, Alcala brazenly appeared on the popular show, The Dating Game, and won a date with Cheryl Bradshaw. Sensing his creepy vibes, she subsequently refused to go out with him, though the movie appears to change that part of the true story.

Woman of the Hour premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023 to universal acclaim from critics, debuting to a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, though it has since dropped to 90% with 51 reviews. Woman of the Hour reviews praise Kendrick's deft direction, which builds on its incredible true story to deliver a compelling exploration of the intersection between systemic misogyny and violence. As highlighted by the trailer, critics are calling it "undeniably powerful," "chillingly sharp," "poignant and unsettling," and "a tremendous directorial debut" for Kendrick.

Despite earning critical acclaim, Woman of the Hour has experienced some issues securing a release. Netflix originally acquired the worldwide distribution rights to the movie, but later dropped out, allowing the film to be sold at Cannes. Netflix reacquired distribution rights after its premiere at TIFF in 2023. However, Woman of the Hour is currently only scheduled for a theatrical release in Canada on October 11 from VVS Films.

Source: VVS Films