Anna Kendrick is making her directorial debut with a gripping new thriller.
Netflix unveiled a fresh trailer for ‘Woman of the Hour’, a film in which Kendrick not only directs but also stars as a woman who appears on the game show ‘The Dating Game’ from the 1960s and 70s—only to encounter a serial killer in the middle of his notorious killing spree.
Image Courtesy: TheWrap
The film is described as a "stranger-than-fiction tale" set in 1970s Los Angeles, focusing on the intersecting lives of an aspiring actress and a serial killer during a lengthy murder spree, both of whom are cast in the same episode of ‘The Dating Game’.
It draws inspiration from the true story of Rodney Alcala, a real-life serial killer active in the 1970s. In addition to Kendrick, the film features Tony Hale, Daniel Zovatto, Nicolette Robinson, Pete Holmes, Autumn Best, Kathryn Gallagher, and Kelley Jakle.
Kendrick's debut as a director premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. Although she couldn't attend due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, she expressed her pride in the project, calling it the "proudest moment of my career." "I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who poured their energy into this film," she shared. "I can't wait for audiences to see the hard work on the big screen."
Image Courtesy: Rolling Stone
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly Kendrick revealed that she initially planned to star in and produce the film. However, when production finally found a start date without a director, she stepped up. "For two years, I kept thinking, 'If it were my movie, I’d do it this way.' But since it wasn’t, I felt it wasn’t my place to say," she explained. "I became so excited about the idea of taking this script I loved and shaping it the way I envisioned."
‘Woman of the Hour’ will begin streaming on Netflix on 18th October.
–Farheen Ali
