So, I finally sat down to watch Woman of the Hour on Netflix. Honestly? It’s not your typical "guy with a knife" movie. It’s way creepier because it actually happened.
The film is Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, and she clearly had something to say. She plays Cheryl Bradshaw, a struggling actress in 1970s Los Angeles who ends up on The Dating Game. Across the partition is Rodney Alcala. History knows him as the "Dating Game Killer." At the time of filming in 1978, he had already murdered multiple people. Think about that for a second. A literal serial killer was cracking jokes on national television while a woman had to choose him for a date.
What Woman of the Hour Gets Right (and What It Changes)
Movies "based on a true story" usually take huge liberties. Woman of the Hour does too, but it feels intentional. In real life, the bachelorette was Cheryl Bradshaw, though the movie tweaks her name slightly to Sheryl.
The biggest change? The vibe of the show itself. In the movie, Sheryl goes rogue. She starts asking smart, biting questions that ditch the scripted fluff. It’s satisfying to watch, like a "win" for every woman who’s ever been told to just smile and look pretty.
In the real 1978 footage, things were a bit different. Cheryl was charming, and Alcala—Bachelor Number One—was actually quite charismatic in a sleazy, 70s sort of way. He told her he was a "successful photographer." He called himself "the banana" and told her to "peel me." It was cringe, sure, but it won him the date.
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The Real-Life "Ick"
The movie shows a tense parking lot scene after the show, but in reality, the date never even happened. Cheryl Bradshaw didn't need a narrow escape in a dark alley to know something was wrong. She just looked at him.
After the cameras stopped rolling, she told the contestant coordinator, Ellen Metzger, that she couldn't go out with him. Her reasoning? "There’s weird vibes coming off him. He’s very strange." That gut instinct likely saved her life. Alcala was already a convicted sex offender at the time, but back then, background checks basically didn't exist.
Why the Non-Linear Timeline Matters
The movie jumps around a lot. You’ll see 1971 New York, then 1977 Wyoming, then 1979 San Gabriel. Some people find this annoying. I get it. It can feel disjointed.
But there’s a reason Kendrick did it this way. By showing Rodney’s victims across a whole decade, the film proves he wasn't just "one bad guy" who slipped through the cracks. He was a predator who thrived because the system let him.
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Take the character of Amy, the runaway played by Autumn Best. She’s based on a real survivor who was instrumental in finally putting Alcala away. The movie focuses heavily on the "secret language" women use to protect each other. It’s about the looks exchanged in bathrooms and the subtle warnings given to strangers.
The Reality of Rodney Alcala
Daniel Zovatto plays Alcala with this unsettling, shifting energy. One minute he’s a sensitive artist; the next, his eyes just go dead. It’s haunting because the real Rodney Alcala was exactly like that.
He was a Mensa-level genius who used his photography "career" to lure women and children. Police eventually found a storage locker with over 1,000 photos of women and girls. Many of them have never been identified.
Factual Breakdown:
- Victim Count: He was convicted of seven murders, but authorities think the real number is closer to 130.
- The Catch: He wasn't caught because of the game show. He was caught in 1979 after murdering 12-year-old Robin Samsoe.
- The End: Alcala died of natural causes in prison in 2021 at age 77. He never faced the execution he was sentenced to.
Is It Worth a Watch?
If you want a slasher, this isn't it. Woman of the Hour is a slow burn. It’s more about the tension of knowing what he is while the people on screen are still figure out why their hair is standing on end.
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Kendrick actually donated her pay from the film to RAINN and the National Center for Victims of Crime. That says a lot about the intent here. It’s not meant to glamorize a killer. It’s meant to look at the women he tried to erase.
The film leaves you feeling a bit heavy. It makes you realize that "weird vibes" aren't just something to laugh off—they’re often the only warning system we have.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Watch the actual footage: If you’re curious, clips of the real 1978 Dating Game episode are on YouTube. Seeing the real Alcala’s "banana" joke puts the movie’s tension into a whole new perspective.
- Research the "California Student" case: If the investigative side of true crime is your thing, look into how Alcala’s 1,000+ photos are still being used today to try and identify missing persons from the 70s.
- Check out the "The Dating Game Killer" 20/20 special: For those who want the pure facts without the Hollywood dramatization, the 2021 ABC News documentary features interviews with the real people involved, including the show's producers.