Netflix's Woman of the Hour zeroes in on the real-life 1970s serial killer Rodney Alcala, who once appeared on the popular television show The Dating Game in an episode hosted by Cheryl Bradshaw. Alcala is played by Daniel Zovatto, with Anna Kendrick making her directorial debut and starring as Cheryl. The film offers a unique take on the true-crime genre by focusing on survivors instead of the perpetrator's backstory.
In recent years, the true-crime genre has largely shifted towards working to understand the twisted motives of the criminals rather than understanding their victims and survivors. This point-of-view shift has led to criticism of several films and series, notably Ryan Murphy's Monstersfranchise, which previously neglected to consult Jeffrey Dahmer's victims' families. There are a number of movies that provide an in-depth look at the aftermath of killers' crimes and the psychological impacts on victims' families.
10 The Lovely Bones
Released In 2009, Streaming On Max
The Lovely Bones, released in 2009, stars a young Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, and more in a supernatural fictionalized tale of the aftermath of a serial killer's murder of a young girl named Susie Salmon in 1973. Director Peter Jackson's film follows Susie's (Saoirse Ronan) ghost overseeing her own murder investigation, as her father, Jack Salmon (Mark Walhberg) is increasingly haunted by his daughter's death. Susie is murdered by her neighbor George Harvey, who lured her into a hideout he built underground when she was coming home from school.
Since Woman of the Hour's Amy is based on a real person, Monique Hoyt, many viewers may be curious about what happened to her after the film's events.
The Lovely Bones is based upon the novel of the same name by Alice Sebold. While the film and its central criminal are fictional, there are clear influences of the string of serial killers who targeted young women in the 1970s, including the Son of Sam, Ted Bundy, and Rodney Alcala, who is depicted in Woman of the Hour.
9 Boston Strangler
Released 2023, Streaming On Hulu
Hulu's Boston Strangler is based on the serial killer who terrorized Massachusetts from 1962-1964. The killer murdered 13 female victims between these two years, prompting a number of women to relocate or learn self-defense tactics (via The Atlantic). The film focuses on the perspective of journalist Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightly), who works as a reporter with The Boston Record American, and is working to investigate the murders.
Boston Strangler crafts an interesting narrative surrounding the notorious American killer, told through the lens of both Loretta and her Record American coworker Jean Cole (Carrie Coon) as they battle sexism in the workplace. The pair of journalists manage to cut through the noise, and nail the primary suspect in the misogynistic killing spree that forever marked Boston. Albert DeSalvo was convicted of the murders, though modern evidence suggests there were multiple killers.
8 Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
Released In 2019, Streaming On Netflix
Zac Efron portrays notorious serial killer Ted Bundy in 2019's Netflix film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. The divisive film is based on a 1981 memoir written by Bundy's ex-girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall, titled The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy. The film largely chronicles Liz Kendall's six-year relationship and engagement to Bundy, after meeting him at the University of Washington, where he was a law student. Liz's daughter Molly is three years old when the couple began dating.
Efron was praised for his performance as Ted Bundy.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile sits at a 57% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with some critics feeling that Liz's perspective could have used more screen time. Similar to Woman of the Hour, the film focuses more on the path of destruction of Bundy's crimes on his interpersonal relationships. Efron was praised for his performance as Ted Bundy. (via The Guardian).
7 My Friend Dahmer
Released In 2017, Streaming On Prime Video
Hulu's My Friend Dahmerstars former Disney star Ross Lynch in the titular role as serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. The film does not depict Dahmer's gruesome murders, but instead hones in on his social life in high school as a teenager in the Midwest in the 1970s. Dahmer's strange behaviors are seen leaving a mark on his friends at the time. The film is based on the graphic novel of the same name, published in 2012. Similar to Woman of the Hour, My Friend Dahmer details how one young man narrowly escaped Dahmer through intuition.
The graphic novel My Friend Dahmer was written and illustrated by John Backderf, who was a classmate of Dahmer's at Revere High School in Ohio. Backderf, now a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism awarded cartoonist (via Cuyahoga Public Library) , illustrated his high school years for the yearbook, and many of his sketches included Dahmer pre-murder. Backderf was a friend of Dahmer's before his circle of friends chose to distance themselves from him upon recognizing his disturbing behavior.
6 Zodiac
Released in 2007, Streaming On Amazon Prime Video
Zodiacstars Jake Gylenhaal and Mark Ruffalo as political cartoonist Robert Graysmith and inspector Dave Toschi, two of the most important figures on the task force investigating the Zodiac Killer. Directed by David Fincher, the film is based on the true story of the cryptic Zodiac Killer, whose murders were accompanied by elaborate cyphers and threatening notes sent to the police. The film boasts an acclaimed ensemble cast, including Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards, Brian Cox, Dermot Mulroney, Chloë Sevigny, and more.
The real Zodiac Killer remains at large.
The Zodiac Killer's real life murders took place in the San Francisco Bay region in the 1960s, and victims primarily included young couples. The killer's motivations were thought to be a combination of misogyny and potentially sexual frustration (via USA Today). The film is based on the book of the same name written by the real Graysmith, published in 1986. Similar to Woman of the Hour, the film focuses more on the investigation and survivors rather than the gory details of the murders. The real Zodiac Killer remains at large.
5 Summer Of Sam
Released In 1999
Summer of Samcaptures the mass hysteria that befell New York City in the 1970s, when David Berkowitz, who called himself the Son of Sam in threatening letters sent to police, terrorized working-class neighborhoods in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens. Directed by Spike Lee, the film documents the burgeoning punk rock scene in the 1970s and offers a window into Italian American culture, while showcasing the impacts of serial killings on a community.
Summer of Sam stars John Leguizamo, Mira Sorvino, Jennifer Esposito, and Adrien Brody as a group of friends and couples navigating their relationships when Vinny (Leguizamo) narrowly escapes being shot by the Son of Sam after cheating on his wife. His brush with death inspires him to work on changing his ways. Meanwhile, Ritchie (Brody) is wrongfully believed to be the Son of Sam, resulting in a brutal beating from a local gang. The real Son of Sam was arrested on August 10, 1977 (via TIME).
4 Monster
Released In 2003, Streaming On Tubi
Charlize Theron stars in Monster, which is based on the true story of serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who was a sex worker who robbed and killed several of her male clients. Christina Ricci stars as Selby Wall, a fictionalized version of Wuornos' real-life girlfriend Tyria Moore. Many of the murders took place on the Florida state highway system between 1989 and 1990 (via Yahoo News). Wuornos claimed the murders were all in self-defense.
Directed by Patty Jenkins, Monster looks at an incredibly unique case, as most high-profile American serial killers have historically been men. Monster examines who the true monster was – the killer, or the alleged rapists who met their deaths across the American South. Over 20 years later, Monster still sits at an 82% critical rating on Rotting Tomatoes, earning new nuance amid a new generational audience.
3 Sleeping With The Enemy
Released In 1991, Streaming On Amazon Prime Video
Julia Roberts stars in Sleeping with the Enemy as a domestic violence survivor who escapes her marriage within inches of her life. The film follows Laura Burney (Roberts) faking her death and escaping to a small town to flee an increasingly violent relationship. While this film is not about a serial killer, its similarity to Woman of the Hour lies in a potential victims' gut feeling saving her own life. Stalking and domestic violence continue to receive more widespread media representation in recent years.
Julia Roberts is a beloved member of Hollywood royalty and her filmography has ranged from classic comedies to serious works with social impact.
Sleeping with the Enemy was vastly ahead of its time, when domestic violence was still considered taboo in the mainstream media. Amid recent films sharing stories of domestic violence like It Ends With Us, this film has been revisited in its depiction of intimate partner violence, and Julia Roberts' accompanying press tour.
2 Watcher
Released In 2022, Streaming On Hulu
Watcher follows a young woman who is stalked by her neighbor after suspecting him to be a serial killer that locals call "The Spider." After Julia and Francis (Maika Monroe and Karl Glusman) move into a new apartment in Bucharest, Romania, Julia becomes haunted by an eerie neighbor staring into their window.
When Julia accuses the neighbor of stalking her, suspecting he is the killer, she follows him for clues, leading to her discovery of his identity, Daniel Weber (Burn Gorman). Daniel then calls the police and feigns that Julia is stalking him, and the police chalk it up to a misunderstanding. Ultimately, Julia is right, and Daniel is in fact the Spider, and he nearly kills her. Watcher is yet another example of how a woman's instinct was proven correct, much like viewers see in Woman of the Hour.
1 Gone Girl
Released In 2014, Streaming On Apple TV+
Gone Girl goes down in history as the film that flipped the psychological thriller genre on its head. Based on the bestselling novel of the same name written by Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl follows Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike) faking her death and framing her husband Nick (Ben Affleck) for her murder. Throughout the film, it is revealed Amy's motive for revenge is born from Nick using her savings when he lost his job, having them relocate to the Midwest to be close to his family, away from her own social circle, and then cheating on her with a college student (Emily Ratajkowski).
Director David Fincher's Gone Girl offers unique criticism of the media's treatment of missing women, and examines the toxic masculinity present across American culture (via the infamous "cool girl" monologue). Gone Girl's Amy Dunne manages to both survive and exact her intricate revenge plot, which is a rarity for a genre that has a long standing tendency to victimize women. The film earned a number of accolades, including an Academy Award nomination for Pike as Best Actress.
Sources: The Atlantic, Rotten Tomatoes, The Guardian, Cuyahoga Public Library, USA Today, TIME, Yahoo News
Woman of the Hour is a biographical thriller directed by Anna Kendrick, who also stars in the film. The movie chronicles the infamous real-life story of Cheryl Bradshaw's appearance on the 1978 edition of The Dating Game, where one of the contestants, Rodney Alcala, would later be revealed as a notorious serial killer. The film delves into the chilling intersection of entertainment and true crime.
Director Anna Kendrick
Release Date September 26, 2023
Studio(s) AGC Studios , Vertigo Entertainment , BoulderLight Pictures
Distributor(s) Netflix
Writers Ian MacAllister McDonald
Cast Anna Kendrick , Daniel Zovatto , Autumn Best , Andy Thompson , David Beairsto , Tighe Gill , Bonnie Hay , Thomas Strumpski , Nicolette Robinson , Kathryn Gallagher , Kelley Jakle , Tony Hale
Character(s) Cheryl Bradshaw , Rodney Alcala , Amy , Bob , Rodney's Boss , Bachelor , Bartender , Laundromat Owner
Image via Netflix
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