Movies Like Woman of the Hour on Netflix: Anna Kendrick has been working in Hollywood for over two decades, mainly known for her performances in comedy-dramas like “Pitch Perfect” and her Oscar-nominated turn in Jason Reitman’s “Up in the Air“. Now, with “Woman of the Hour,” she steps in as a director of a dark, psychological thriller. The film revolves around Sheryl Bradshaw, a young aspiring actress from the 70s, who entered a reality television show to find her next date. She was supposed to choose someone from the three male contestants trying to woo her.
One of these suitors was serial killer Rodney Alcala, who charmed Sheryl enough to select him as her date. As the film follows her journey, it offers glimpses into Rodney’s past encounters with his victims and survivors. It alternates between these different stories to give us a sense of his personality that made these women fall into his trap. While using this non-linear approach of narration, Kendrick rarely shows the actual violent act. Yet, she offers us a sense of Rodney’s terrifying presence under his calm, composed, and cultured persona.
Instead of resorting to cheap provocation, Kendrick turns her film into a slow-burn thriller. She and screenwriter Ian McDonald also examine the rampant sexism and misogyny that allowed a purely male-gaze-serving show to exist. While technically a true-crime drama about a serial killer, the film is impactful for reasons beyond those cursory details. So, it makes no sense to just add a few serial-killer dramas as suggestions. You can refer to ChatGPT if that’s the case!
If not, here are a few movie suggestions that are thematically or stylistically similar to “Woman of the Hour.” Try these films if you liked the Anna Kendrick’s remarkable directorial debut:
1. No Country for Old Men (2007)
While speaking about “Woman of the Hour” during an interview, Kendrick mentioned the Coen brothers as her key inspiration for her work. She revealed how the screenplay for “No Country for Old Men” helped her convince the producers to trust her vision of a narrative that starts with an act of violence and then gradually starts pulling away and making the violence less and less explicit. It becomes evident while watching her film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival 2024.
The 2007 film, which won four Oscars including the ones for the Coen brothers’ writing and direction, is a masterclass in filmmaking. Set in the Texan deserts, the narrative roughly follows a Vietnam War veteran who stumbles upon a bag of money out of a drug deal, a vicious killer looking for the cash, and a cop investigating this crime. It stands apart from similar dramas since it relies on the anticipation or the aftermath of a terrifying incident rather than relying on the showcase of a monstrous crime.
2. Boston Strangler (2023)
Matt Ruskin’s “Boston Strangler” revolves around a same-name real-life serial killer who created an atmosphere of terror in 1960s Boston. The film follows journalist, Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley), who breaks this story by connecting a string of murders through common pieces of evidence, and her colleague Jean Cole (Carrie Coon), who investigates the case with her. While following her account like an investigative thriller, the film reveals other prevalent elements from this era.
Much like Anna Kendrick’s “Woman of the Hour,” “Boston Strangler” takes a critical look at the sexism and misogyny rampant in this era. Whether in the field of journalism or any other, it examines the deeply flawed gender dynamic. Amid those forces, McLaughlin and Cole steadfastly dug deeper into the criminal events and analyzed them even if their superiors and colleagues told them otherwise. It builds an atmosphere of hysteria, like the new Netflix release, where the characters experience it even in the absence of direct contact.
Also Read: Woman of the Hour (2024) Movie Ending & True Story Explained: What Happened after Cheryl’s Chilling Encounter with Rodney?
3. Zodiac (2007)
David Fincher’s “Zodiac”’ will always be mentioned when speaking about serial killer thrillers and rightfully so. It is a chilling portrait of the terror around an elusive serial killer who was never caught. However, it unfolds unlike how we would usually expect it to. Roughly two and a half hours long, it follows a painstaking investigation process through the eyes of a few journalists without being tedious. In fact, it remains utterly fascinating despite being largely conversational.
Much of its credit goes to the writing that highlights the impact this case has on these journalists. While slowly revealing information about the killer’s identity, it follows multiple character arcs and weaves them together through their collective feelings of frustration and hopelessness. Similar to Kendrick’s “Woman of the Hour,” “Zodiac” does not rely on the grotesqueness of the murders. Still, it creates a chilling and deeply disturbing portrait of the killer and shows his impact through other modes of communication.
4. Mulholland Drive (2001)
While being a true-crime serial-killer thriller, “Woman of the Hour” is also about an aspiring actress hoping to make it big in Hollywood. It mirrors the sexism prevalent in this era opposed by the rise of feminist values. More than anything, it demystifies the Hollywood dream by showcasing its brutal reality while keeping an air of mystery intact in its crime thriller narrative. For the same reason, “Mulholland Drive” would be a great follow-up to this psychological nail-biter.
The 2001 David Lynch film was supposed to be a television pilot that he later turned into this iconic film. While open to different interpretations, this surrealist mystery primarily follows an aspiring actress entering Los Angeles, who befriends an amnesiac woman and has a series of strange experiences. The film leads to different tangents and offers a mystical experience. Lynch, who won the Best Director award at Cannes, never explained his intention or interpretation of this film but gave it the tagline – A love story in the city of dreams, which reflects the core of Sheryl’s story from the new Netflix release.
5. Nitram (2021)
Justin Kurzel’s “Nitram” is an Australian crime thriller that revolves around the horrifying true story of mass murderer Martin Bryant. The film takes us through his daily life to offer an understanding of his psyche. Since a young age, Martin faced intellectual developmental issues. So, he was endlessly mocked by his peers, being referred to as Nitram. As a result, he became an isolated young man, who lived with his parents. While they sheltered him, they rarely showed him the affection he craved.
In the face of constant rejection, Martin met Helen, an older heiress who treated him kindly. Their friendship ended on a tragic note that led to the known disaster. Unlike the standard serial killer dramas, “Nitram” does not show the act of cruelty. Yet, it makes us aware of its horrors simply through a gradual emotional build-up. Like “Woman of the Hour,” it is a visceral character analysis of a tortured man’s psyche, who resorted to violence in the face of trauma.
6. Snowtown (2011)
“Snowtown” (also referred to as “The Snowtown Murders”) is another Justin Kurzel film that brilliantly conveys the horrors of indoctrination. Based on true events, it follows 16-year-old Jamie Vlasssakis, who lives with his mother and sexually abused brothers. After a tragic end to one of her relationships, Jamie meets John Bunting, a father figure who turns his life upside down. John is a sadistic man, stuck in his old ways, expecting Jamie to grow into a strong man unafraid of violence.
The film lays out the chilling events from Jamie’s life that pulled him under John’s influence in a town where people did not have much to look forward to. Kurzel uses the desolate nature of its setting to his advantage to deepen the impact of John’s actions. However, like the other films in this list, it rarely shows the acts of violence that it primarily revolves around. It’s a devastating portrait of human cruelty that gets passed down in the absence of intervention by a conscientious soul. If you liked “Woman of the Hour” for its gradual build-up of tension, “Snowtown” is a worthwhile follow-up that also critiques masculinity.
