Woman of the Hour is based on the stranger-than-fiction true story of Cheryl Bradshaw and Rodney Alcala. Bradshaw was a bachelorette on the hit '70s TV matchmaking show The Dating Game and chose handsome and funny bachelor No. 3, Rodney Alcala. But behind Alcala's charming facade was a deadly secret: He was a psychopathic serial killer.
Where to Watch Woman of the Hour
- cgbranniganJanuary 25, 2025It was fine. Could have been better. Was expecting a true crime story but just part way through was clear a lot of it was fictionalised which I’ve since confirmed. Might have been a better movie if it was more true to real events.
- PhysicalMedia4LifeJuly 31, 2026The very opening has to be one of the most disturbing & effective openings to a film that I've seen in years. I thought Daniel Zovatto completely disappeared into the Rodney Alcala character he just embodied that role. What a performance!!! Just the sheer unpredictability & nature of how the character was written & potrayed, is what really stood out to me, more than anything else. Simply not knowing when he was going to strike and go in for a kill made him really frightening. Anna Kendrick was good but Daniel Zovatto was the standout though. However my main issue with "Woman Of The Hour" is that the movie isn't half as good whenever we don't see the killer. And that's a big problem. In order for these type of movies, to completely work and come together! You have to have everything else, be just as interesting & compelling whenever the killer isn't onscreen. That's this movies main weakness Overall: when it hit, it hit hard! But as a whole package, this could have been so much better. The potential was there, for this to be a 10/10 they just couldn't capitalise on it. My Personal Rating for "Woman Of The Hour" is a 6/10 and me giving it a 6 is very testament to how awesome Daniel Zovatto was here.
- rg9400July 8, 2026Woman of the Hour is most compelling when focused around Anna Kendrick, but despite the brisk 95 minute runtime, it often cuts away from her and her storyline to follow other characters, sometimes at different points in time, creating a sense of choppiness that eventually makes the story lack cohesiveness. Her character joins a dating show that features a serial killer, while other segments show the serial killer operating throughout time. Those segments are not told chronologically, and sometimes even they get split up across multiple scenes. This prevents the movie from really having any sort of flow to it. For example, they'll suddenly jump forward in time, then back in time, then forward again to the earlier story. The worst part is that there doesn't seem to be a purpose in splicing up the story like this. Because Anna Kendrick is directing, the female perspective prevents the movie from necessarily feeling exploitative in these scenes, but they don't really seem to be building up anything in terms of themes regarding women being ignored (much better explored in Kendrick's own storyline). I think the end goal was to just showcase how creepy the killer was and how dangerous simple interactions can be for women, but this did not require the strange editing decisions. More importantly, it distracts from the dating show storyline which is the most engaging part of the movie, both in terms of delivering themes as well as just in terms of making me invested in what was happening. Unfortunately, the other scenes distract from this story. However, by the end, this dating show story doesn't actually make that much of a difference, and that's probably why she felt the need to include the rest of the scenes...it isn't a complete story on its own. I respect the noticeable changes in the way the killer and his killings are depicted due to the female perspective, and I liked seeing her tackle some of the more casual misogyny, but I think she was unable to spin it all together into a cohesive whole.
- adam3199February 17, 2026Anna Kendrick has knocked it out of the park for her film making. Wow, and so understated.
- Carli JusticeDecember 7, 2025I had read the story of this whole incident prior to seeing the movie, but the whole story still boggles the mind. The story adapted well to television, the actors dod great job. It will remind you to take each day as it comes and enjoy it to the fullest, because you just never know.....
- James KearneyDecember 2, 2024I do love a good true story and this one really makes you think about how bad a person can be.
- Mr_DavidOctober 30, 2025Main actor did a great job, movie is great, but the plot is horrible, just can’t watch these kind of movies, makes me mad as hell.
- DrinelsonJuly 3, 2025This was crazy. Such a good movie. If I wouldn’t have already known about this case, I would’ve had a hard time believing that this actually happened. Some of it is fiction but the main parts did truly happen. This man is twisted and horrible. The things that he would do is insane. And he went on a dating show in the middle of his killing spree… diabolical.
- Kevin WardJuly 1, 2025Assured debut feature from Anna Kendrick. Can’t wait to see what she does next. Less about a serial killer and more of a portrait of what it is to be a woman in this world. Every interaction a calculation taking place. Even outside of the game show a determination to be made. “Which one of you will hurt me?” Really loved this. Was deserving of theatrical distribution. Production values looked gorgeous. Highly recommend.
- Rob Logan | The Geek GenerationJanuary 14, 2025Solid first directorial effort by Anna Kendrick. The film looked great and it's properly tense, but suffers from some pacing issues as it jumps between multiple character perspectives. I understand that it's based on a true story, but I felt like it needed to take some liberties to make the plot feel like a more cohesive story as opposed to separate vignettes.
- EdwardJanuary 7, 2025This movie tries too hard to be too many things. It follows the trendy approach of having parallel plots without having direction. We never meet any of the characters long enough to properly care about them. I really wish there had just been more focus on a singular timeline.
- HakihikoDecember 16, 2024Style and Intrigue, But Lacks Focus "Woman of the Hour" offers a unique angle by blending true crime with the glitzy, often superficial world of reality television. While the premise is promising, the movie ultimately left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. I did enjoy certain aspects of it and wouldn't call it a bad film; it's clear the filmmakers put effort into crafting a neat and stylistic portrayal of a twisted story. However, the film struggles to find its focus, which dampens the impact it might have otherwise had. One of the movie's biggest issues is its pacing. It's a slow burn that, rather than building tension, drags the story along without a strong sense of momentum. The killer's story-the element that should form the backbone of the narrative-is present, but it feels somewhat diluted by the film's broader exploration of the dating show setup. Although the dating segments are actually well-executed and visually engaging, along with Cheryl's slice of life, they ultimately take up too much space in the film for my taste, especially considering its limited runtime. This extensive focus on these aspetcs might work better in a longer movie, but here it feels disproportionate, leaving too little time to delve deeply into the more complex psychological elements of the killer's character. The film's tone and aesthetic choices are spot on. The cinematography and production design bring out the eerie contrasts between the flashy, overly-staged atmosphere of the dating show and the dark undercurrent of the killer's story. It's a clever touch that highlights the juxtaposition between reality TV's facade and the real threat lurking beneath. The unsettling score is also well-used, adding a layer of tension, even if the narrative itself doesn't always sustain it. The performances are solid across the board, with the cast doing their best to elevate scenes that, at times, feel stretched or underwritten. There are some memorable moments that hint at the movie's potential, and these scenes showcase a glimmer of what "Woman of the Hour" could have been if the focus were tighter. If the film had devoted more time to exploring the killer's psychological depth or background, it might have achieved a greater impact. As it stands, there's a missed opportunity to dig into the mind of someone whose disturbing tendencies are masked by the charm necessary to appear on national television. In conclusion, while "Woman of the Hour" brings some interesting ideas to the table, it doesn't fully realize them. The balance between its storytelling and the portrayal of the dating show is off, resulting in a movie that feels a bit aimless. It's worth watching for its concept and its craft, but it doesn't quite achieve the depth or intrigue it seemed to promise.
- dwillia53November 17, 2024Wish it didn't unnecessarily force as much fiction into the story...the truth is creepy and scary enough. It was still very good and worthy of viewing.
- ChaChaBTacoNovember 6, 2024Doesn’t do anything new, but if you’re looking for a movie about a weirdo serial killer and good acting. This will do the job.
- Casper HørningNovember 2, 2024Chilling, and not a feel good movie.
Get Plex on Your Devices
Free on 20+ platforms. Pick yours.Woman of the Hour Trivia
Woman of the Hour was released on October 3, 2024.
Woman of the Hour was directed by Anna Kendrick.
Woman of the Hour has a runtime of 1h 35m.
Woman of the Hour was produced by Roy Lee, Miri Yoon, Raphael Margules, J.D. Lifshitz.
Woman of the Hour is based on the stranger-than-fiction true story of Cheryl Bradshaw and Rodney Alcala. Bradshaw was a bachelorette on the hit '70s TV matchmaking show The Dating Game and chose handsome and funny bachelor No. 3, Rodney Alcala. But behind Alcala's charming facade was a deadly secret: He was a psychopathic serial killer.
The key characters in Woman of the Hour are Sheryl Bradshaw (Anna Kendrick), Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto), Laura (Nicolette Robinson).
Woman of the Hour is rated R.
Woman of the Hour is a Drama, Mystery, Crime film.
Woman of the Hour has an audience rating of 6.8 out of 10.
Woman of the Hour had a budget of $836K.