Now, I’m easily spooked. When I look at the upcoming horror movies, I pick and choose which I see carefully, because I’m not trying to have nightmares. However, when Anna Kendrick’s true crime thriller Woman of the Hour popped up on Netflix’s slate of 2024 releases, curiosity got the best of me, and I had to watch it. Little did I know, this film would wind up being the scariest movie I’ve watched this year, and I think it’s important to talk about why.
When I used my Netflix subscription to watch Woman of the Hour, I knew what I was getting into, to an extent. I knew it was a true crime film about a serial killer who went on an episode of The Dating Game. However, I wasn’t expecting it to be such an effective and terrifying commentary on just how scary it is to be a woman. So, let’s break down why that’s the case.
The Woman Of The Hour Brought Up Constant Fears Of Safety Many Women And I Feel In A Terrifying Way
I’ve been raised to always watch my back, be alert and have my hands on my keys or pepper spray, especially when I’m going somewhere alone. I’ve taken self-defense classes, and I’m always on edge that someone could take me. And I’m not the only one, it’s common for women to feel this way.
We’re taught from a young age that we could be used and abused easily. Sadly, there are too many examples of men kidnapping, murdering or sexually assaulting women that affirm that worry. Woman of the Hour addresses all that fear in abundance, and in turn terrifies me.
In the film, Rodney, the killer played by Daniel Zovatto, befriends women, makes them feel comfortable and then kills them. He actively uses these women’s kindness and trust against them, and then brutally murders them. The film doesn’t shy away from showing all of this too, and hearing the women scream reignites this constant fear I feel about my own safety.
I’ve always abided by the “stranger danger” mindset, and this film reaffirmed why it’s important to be that way. I quite literally was scared to walk to my car after watching the project, and that’s terrifying.
Anna Kendrick Captured The Fear Of Being Approached By A Sketchy Man Perfectly
Woman of the Hour is truly terrifying because Anna Kendrick effectively and accurately captures the tension that builds when one is approached by or dealing with someone they shouldn’t trust. The scene that sticks out the most to me is toward the end when Kendrick’s character Sheryl goes out to dinner with Rodney and quickly realizes she’s in trouble.
During her meal with Rodney, they have a conversation about the game show, and Sheryl is obviously off-put by him. She wasn’t that into being on The Dating Game in the first place, so that’s not shocking. However, as the scene goes on it becomes obvious that she senses something is bad about this guy.
Even though she wasn’t aware of Rodney’s past, her gut instinct was telling her something was off, and the way she was acting as she tried to get away from him without causing a scene was all too relatable. Then, things got really bad when she said she wasn’t going anywhere with him and refused to tell him her phone number as he whispered:
Then you’d get your fucking head bashed in.
After that, the real terror kicks in as Kendrick’s character runs back to her car and immediately locks herself into it.
Between the way the tension builds and focuses on the evolution of Sheryl’s terror, I couldn’t help but feel the urge to scream at her to run, because I knew what could happen if she didn’t.
Now, while I’ve thankfully never experienced that, the amped-up fear she was feeling is something I have felt before when approached by a sketchy man. You never know what could happen, and immediately when I begin thinking something is off, I try to find a way to escape.
This film captured that terror of knowing you need to get away from a person who could be predatory perfectly, which is why I both deeply appreciated it and was so utterly scared by it.
Overall, Woman Of The Hour Is All About The Fear That Comes With Facing Misogyny And Sexism
Woman of the Hour is getting great reviews because of Kendrick’s brilliant and unsettling vision. At the root of that, I think this film works so well because it’s ultimately about the terror that comes with misogyny and sexism.
Two moments specifically highlight this point in very different ways.
One comes when Laura recognizes Rodney on The Dating Game, and she tries to tell someone that a killer is on the show. A security guard advises her to wait for someone to come meet with her, and it ends up being a sham; he just straight-up doesn’t believe her.
With movements like Me Too and many high-profile cases involving women coming forward with their stories of being sexually abused and assaulted by men of power, this situation feels all too relevant. The notion of not being believed or getting torn down for sharing your story is terrifying, and this film highlights that inherent misogyny that’s still very present in our society.
The other moment that stood out to me that really scared me was when Anna Kendrick’s character asked her bachelors:
What are girls for?
That question alone is chill-inducing, because girls aren’t “for” anything, we’re not an object. However, Sheryl was baiting the men with this question to show that it’s not just the killer who is evil. These men also see women as objects for them to use, which is just the worst thing ever to think about.
So, overall, not only does this film invoke a fear of being taken and used, but it also highlights a greater cultural problem that still exists today. As a woman, I’m always scared that I won’t be treated fairly or with value, and I’m frequently nervous about the possibility of facing acts of violence. Woman of the Hour depicts both those fears with detail and tension in a way that left me breathless at the end of the film, which is why it’s so well done and worth watching.