Anna Kendrick's directorial debut stuns Netflix

The author Chris Snelgrove
| Published 1 minute ago

Anna Kendrick made her name by appearing in several classic films such as Pitch Perfect and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Her friendly “girl next door” quality has made it difficult for some moviegoers to appreciate just how talented she really is. 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 breathtaking directorial debut. Woman of the hour on Netflix.

A horrifying true story

Anna Kendrick's debut film focuses on the gruesome case of Rodney Alcala, a real-life serial killer who still found time to show up Dating game In 1978, in the midst of his horrific murders. In an interesting filmmaking choice, Woman of the hour is split between the bloody, episodic adventures of Alcala and the simpler story of an aspiring actress who thinks going on a national game show will improve her career prospects. Unfortunately, this brings him into conflict with Alcal, a competitor whose growing body count proves that anyone in his path is a potential target.

As you might expect, Anna Kendrick stars in her own film, playing the role of a dumb actress whose career ambitions bring her head-to-head with a killer, expertly played by Daniel Zovatto (a horror veteran who has starred in modern classics such as It follows and The Pope's Exorcist). The game show host is played by Tony Hale, who is still best known for his comedic roles Arrested Development and Veep. Other major performers Woman of the hour includes Nicolette Robinson, Pete Holmes and Kelly Jakell.

Unfortunately, Anna Kendrick's directorial debut never made it to theaters (it's a Netflix exclusive) which means it has no real box office. We say “unfortunately” because Kendrick-impressed critics would have definitely wanted to see this film on the big screen. On Rotten tomatoes, Woman of the hour With a critical rating of 91 percent, critics are generally praising how the film creates a stunningly modern examination of hatred and violence, yet rooted in the tragedies of the past.

That impressive Rotten Tomatoes score aside, why do we think you should check out Anna Kendrick's debut film? As a director, she manages to deliver genuine chills that will stay with you long after the credits roll. The fact that she pulled it off in the crowded true-crime genre is frankly more impressive, and her film (unlike many in the genre) never tries to sensationalize the real-life killer at its center.

Woman of the hour also cleverly uses its narrative framework to analyze how the violence of serial killers is often linked to hostility in a way that we are still trying to figure out to this day. It's an important message for viewers to understand, but Anna Kendrick has never been a preachy or moralistic director. Instead, she shows the horrors of today through the lens of yesterday in a compelling way that still leaves us terrified of what tomorrow may hold.

If we're being honest, we're still mostly blown away by the fact that Anna Kendrick, already one of Hollywood's most reliable talents, is as skilled as a director. Are you equally impressed Woman of the hour as we were when you streamed it on Netflix? You'll never know until you discover its (ahem) perfect direction for yourself.