CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses child sexual abuse, sexual assault and murder.
I’ve got an obsession with any TV show or movie based on a true story, especially creepy thrillers. I reckon it makes it much more terrifying knowing that these events actually took place. Anna Kendrick’s upcoming directorial debut Woman of the Hour ticks all these boxes, and sees her play a dating show contestant who gets lured into a serial killer’s web.
Move over Baby Reindeer, I think Netflix’s Woman of the Hour is about to become the new hot topic! It’s based on the serial killer Rodney Alcala, who was nicknamed The Dating Game killer back in the 1970s. Back in those days, they apparently didn’t do any background checks on their contestants, and he was able to turn on the charm on national television.
Let’s look into the true story behind Woman of the Hour and everything you need to know about the Netflix film.
What is Woman of the Hour about?
Woman of the Hour follows aspiring actress Sheryl Bradshaw (Anna Kendrick) and her appearance on The Dating Game, the popular dating show in the 1970s. After she chooses Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto) out of three suitors, she heads on a date with the mysterious man. Little does she know that he’s a serial killer, and as we soon see, the vibes on the date are truly cursed.
In the trailer, we see a waitress ask the pair if they’d like another drink, and Sheryl shakes her head silently behind Rodney. When she tries to part ways with Rodney after their date, he corners her and demands to know if she gave him a fake phone number. Terrifying stuff.
Is Woman of the Hour based on a true story?
It is indeed. The Dating Game was an actual dating show from the 1970s, and a few contestants went on the show to seek fame. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Selleck and Burt Reynolds all appeared on the dating show before becoming household names.
Rodney Alcala was selected as a potential suitor for the show in 1978, even though he had a criminal record. Ten years earlier, he had raped and assaulted an 8-year-old girl, and served 34 months in prison for his crime. It’s believed he murdered two other women prior to his game show appearance and he also appeared on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in 1971.
What really happened after Rodney Alcala went on The Dating Game?
Alcala was introduced on The Dating Game by host Jim Lange, who described him as a “successful photographer” who liked “skydiving and motorcycling”.
Bachelorette Cheryl Bradshaw picked Alcala to win the competition, and was supposed to go on a tennis date with him after the show. However, she decided not to go after being turned off by his behaviour.
“I started to feel ill. He was acting really creepy,” she said, according to The Sun.
Bachelor number two, Jed Mills, told CNN that he felt uneasy being next to Alcala.
“He was very obnoxious and creepy — he became very unlikable and rude and imposing as though he was trying to intimidate. I wound up not only not liking this guy… not wanting to be near him… he got creepier and more negative,” he said.
Alcala went on to commit five murders after his dating show appearance, and crime profiler Pat Brown believes this could have been spurred on by Bradshaw’s rejection.
“One wonders what that did in his mind,” Brown told CNN. “That is something he would not take too well. They don’t understand the rejection. They think something is wrong with that girl: ‘She played me. She played hard to get’.”
Alcala was arrested in 1979 and sentenced to death the next year, but the verdict was overturned in 1984. A second trial took place in 1986 and he was sentenced to death, but again, it was overturned in 2003. Alcala then stood trial again in 2010 and was sentenced to death for a third and final time. He died of natural causes in July, 2021.
When will Woman of the Hour be released in Australia?
You’ll be able to watch Woman of the Hour in Australia on Friday, October 18 at 6pm AEDT. A perfect weekend treat for those true crime lovers!
Who is in the cast for Woman of the Hour?
Along with Pitch Perfect’s Anna Kendrick and Daniel Zovatto, the cast also includes Tony Hale, Nicolette Robinson, Autumn Best, Kathryn Gallagher and Kelley Jakle.
What has the cast said about Woman of the Hour?
Kendrick has talked about how the film focuses more on the character of Sheryl, rather than serial killer Alcala.
“We got to use The Dating Game as this framing thematic device about, how do you know who is a safe person and who is not?” she told Entertainment Weekly.
“What we’ve heard is once upon a time, there was a very violent, dangerous murderer who went on The Dating Game. But once I signed on to direct and I got to dive into some research and make tweaks, to me, the fact that he went on The Dating Game is the least interesting part of the story.”
She went on to say the key message of the film is around victim blaming and how it’s so commonplace.
“I was thinking about how even very subtle victim blaming is baked into our culture. Even the most well-meaning people will say things like, ‘Yeah, you really just got to pay attention to those early red flags’, which is not a nightmare of a thing to say, but man, woof,” she explained.
“More often than not, there is nothing you can do, no matter how smart you are, no matter how careful you are, to protect yourself from someone who wishes to harm you.”
Is there a Woman of the Hour trailer?
There sure is! Brace yourself, because it’s chilling.
Woman of the Hour premieres on Netflix on October 18, 2024.
Lead image: Netflix & YouTube/The Dating Game
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- If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
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