Woman Of The Hour- A Spooky Season Review?
As someone who can see the FYC campaigns coming my way, it dos make me wonder where Netflix is with Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut. This is something that should be in the mix, and very much has opportunities to be honored at least by various critics groups. Certainly, Anna Kendrick for a first time feature category seems like a strong contender. But, Netflix is leaning hard on Emilia Perez, The Piano Lesson, and Maria.In comparison, I’ve received FYC campaigns for everything from Sonic The Hedgehog 3, Horizon: Chapter One, to the maligned Joker Folie Aux Deux. Other studios are running wide campaigns, so where is this?
Obviously, I’m saying this because I enjoyed this on some level. It isn’t top 10, but it was an impressive debut by Kendrick, who tells the true story of a serial killer that got on the dating game. A few small details have changed, but this movie has so many moments where you realize no one listened to women in the 1970’s. One scene in particular hit so hard, when a woman trying to alert people to the potential danger of having this guy on the show is placated, in a really insulting way. What makes it worse, is that she’s right. He is dangerous, and no lone listened.
I’m not sure necessarily any of the performances stand out above the rest. Kendrick allows herself to remain in comfortable territory as an aspiring actress reckoning with her screen debut being a contestant on the dating game, yet another way we devalued women. Daniel Zavata plays a very chilling killer, but in 2024, so many people have done excellent work playing awful people that I’m not sure he brings anything fresh to the table. He’s just really good. One scene stood out to me particularly, where he’s with another dating show contestant, and he shows him this troubling thing that sends the other guy into a moment I’m sure he reconsidered his whole life.
The audio description here is good. Lots of violence against women, but well described, and considering the movie is told in a non-linear fashion, the audio description truly brings out the best parts of what Kendrick is pulling off. I’m excited to see more from Kendrick in the future, and I hope someone somewhere at least tips their hat at her for a strong directorial debut.
Final Grade: B+
