Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut stunned Netflix

Pa Chris Snellgrove
| Published 1 minute ago

Anna Kendrick made a name for herself by starring in a series of classic films such as Pitch Perfect and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Because of her amiable “girl next door” quality, it was hard for some moviegoers to realize how talented she really was. As it turns out, Kendrick is just as skilled behind the camera as she is in front of it, and now you can watch her exciting directorial debut Woman of the hour on Netflix.

A scary true story

Anna Kendrick’s debut film focuses on the horrific case of Rodney Alcalo, a real-life serial killer who still found time to appear in Dating game in 1978 in the midst of his gruesome murders. In an interesting choice of filmmaking, Woman of the hour is split between Alcala’s gory, episodic adventures and the simpler story of an aspiring actress who believes that being on a national game show will improve her career prospects. Unfortunately, this puts her on a collision course with Alcala, a member whose growing body count proves that anyone in his path is a potential target.

As expected, Anna Kendrick stars in her own film, playing the role of an aspiring actress whose career ambitions bring her face-to-face with a killer played expertly by Daniel Zavati (a horror veteran who has starred in modern classics such as It follows and Papal Exorcist). The game show host is played by Tony Hale, who is still best known for his comedic roles in Arrested development and Vip. Other major performers in the Woman of the hour include Nicolette Robinson, Pete Holmes and Kelly Jackle.

Unfortunately, Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut never made it to theaters (it’s a Netflix exclusive) which means it has no real cash register. We say “unfortunately” because the critics Kendrick wowed would surely love to see this movie on the big screen. incl Rotten tomatoes, Woman of the hour has a 91 percent critical acclaim, with critics generally praising the film for creating a stunningly modern analysis of misogyny and violence that is nonetheless rooted in the tragedies of the past.

Aside from its impressive Rotten Tomatoes score, why do we think you should see Anna Kendrick’s debut film? As a director, she succeeds in inducing chills that will stay with you long after the credits roll. That she manages to do this in the crowded true-crime genre is frankly far more impressive, and her film (unlike many in the genre) never tries to sensationalize the real-life killer at the center.

Woman of the hour also deftly uses the narrative as a way to analyze how the violence of serial killers is often linked to misogyny in a way that we’re still trying to figure out to this day. It’s an important message for viewers to understand, but Anna Kendrick never comes off as a preachy director or a moralist. Instead, it confidently shows the horrors of today through the lens of yesterday, which nevertheless makes us terrified of what tomorrow may bring.

Frankly, we’re still in awe of the fact that Anna Kendrick, already one of Hollywood’s most reliable talents, is equally as skilled as a director. You will be just as impressed Woman of the hour like we were when you aired it on Netflix? You’ll never know until you discover its (ahem) perfect direction.