Directed by Anna Kendrick, “Woman of the Hour” on Netflix is the most recent example of a Black List script coming to the screen. Written by Ian McDonald, the screenplay revolves around Cheryl Bradshaw, a once-aspiring actress, who decided to take part in The Dating Game, a reality TV show from the 1970s where the female contestants are supposed to find their suitor based on the available options. One of those contestants was Rodney Alcala, a serial killer who tricks her and everyone on set with his charm. Those who were born after this period may have seen this show being spoofed on SNL sketches. “Woman of the Hour” presents a terrifying account of this woman to unravel the dual nature of its serial killer.
Spoilers Ahead
Woman of the Hour (2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
Set in 1970s LA, “Woman of the Hour” is a true crime mystery drama film that revolves around Cheryl Bradshaw, a contestant on The Dating Show where she ends up choosing a charming bachelor only to learn about his terrifying identity afterward.
What happens in ‘Woman of the Hour’ on Netflix?
“Woman of the Hour” takes us through the psychotic adventures of Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto), a serial killer, who has reportedly murdered over 130 people. To do so, the film goes back and forth between the times he approaches his three victims. The script mainly follows Cheryl Bradshaw (Anna Kendrick), a young aspiring actress, who has been trying to make it big in the entertainment industry for years. She lives in LA and can barely afford to pay her rent anymore. She hasn’t been able to land any gig lately and the auditions she has gone through have been nightmarish.
The perverted male executives at the auditions would expect Cheryl, and any other woman, to be sleazy. Cheryl refuses any such advances and rejects similar roles or opportunities. Eventually, her agent reveals that she has landed a gig at the hit reality TV show, The Dating Game where a different woman is brought upon every episode to choose her suitor among three random male bachelors. Initially, Cheryl thinks this gig is beneath her. After all, it shows her as a sex object supposed to appeal to these stranger men. However, her flatmate, Terry (Pete Holmes) convinces her to pursue this option.
Cheryl in ‘The Dating Game’
Cheryl accepts The Dating Game gig, recalling how another actress got her big break after appearing on this show. Eventually, she enters the studio and gets her make-up done. The show host, Ed (Tony Hale), sees her in a rather conservative outfit and gets annoyed. He orders his team to get Cheryl dressed in something sleazier to appeal to the gaze of his predominantly male audience. Cheryl doesn’t object, likely because her future depends on it. Moreover, she feels there’s no other figure of authority besides Ed with whom she can share her discomfort.
Eventually, Cheryl gets up on the stage to meet three bachelor contestants, which includes Rodney as Bachelor #3. Ed’s team gives her cue cards to read the questions. The bachelors are supposed to answer them to the best of their ability. Through this exercise, she is supposed to be perceived as an unintelligent person, incapable of living a life without a man. The men are supposed to do the bare minimum to impress her or the audience. So, Ed specifically asks her not to hurt their egos, i.e. treat them like babies! Cheryl continues with the charade as expected.
Laura and Rodney’s Past
In the studio audience, Laura (Nicolette Robinson) notices Rodney and recalls him as the person who raped and murdered her close friend. It traumatizes her to the point that she rushes out of the studio. Her boyfriend follows her outside to the car and learns about her suspicions. Although she is certain that Rodney killed her friend, her boyfriend doesn’t trust her. Laura feels survivor’s guilt for leaving her friend behind at the time. However, her boyfriend assumes that the studios would have done their due diligence not to let a criminal enter their show. So, Laura gets justifiably furious and tells him to get out of her car.
Laura heads to the studio offices to speak with an executive in charge of the show. The security guard listens to her concerns and makes her wait for a certain executive. She waits and waits and waits until she gets tired of it. Eventually, she asks a janitor about that executive. The janitor reveals that the security guard tricked her into waiting. She storms out of the office and doesn’t look back. Overall, we get to see the absolute irreverence for women’s safety or their concerns even in the face of a serial killer. Meanwhile, Cheryl remains on the show.
Woman of the Hour (2024) Movie Ending Explained:
Cheryl plays the part of a gentle, unintelligent woman that Ed and his team expect to play in The Dating Game. Eventually, she gets tired and justifiably upset about it. During a commercial break, the makeup woman raises her confidence to speak as she wants. After all, what is Ed going to do that is so bad for her? Fire her? She isn’t supposed to come back on the show anyway. The woman’s words give Cheryl the necessary courage to take charge of the show and ask the men some intellectual questions. The men start fumbling almost immediately but not Rodney.
Rodney answers Cheryl’s questions with confidence and charm. He does not condescend her through his words and appears as a calming presence. Cheryl admires that and so does the audience. So, in the end, she decides to choose Rodney as the winner. Just before she does this, another bachelor senses something shocking about Rodney. He warns Cheryl not to choose Rodney. However, Cheryl presumably sees it as his sign of jealousy and chooses Rodney anyway. As the winner, Rodney gets a chance to spend a vacation with Cheryl.
What happened to Cheryl Bradshaw after ‘The Dating Game’?
After the show, Rodney finds Cheryl in the parking lot and takes her for a meal at a dimly lit restaurant. She finds it strange but goes along with it. During the conversation, he revealed that he was an NYU student. So, Cheryl connects with him as a Columbia University student from New York. Soon, she starts sensing signs of his creepy, terrifying personality and gets in her car. He forces her to let him in but she doesn’t. Moments later, some men walk out of a nearby lot, allowing her to leave immediately. She survived because of sheer luck. After this incident, Cheryl decided to leave her dreams of acting for good. She moved back to her hometown and started living a life detached from her buzzy past.
Woman of the Hour (2024) True Story Explained:
Who is Rodney Alcala in ‘Woman of the Hour’?
“Woman of the Hour” is based on the chilling true story of Rodney Alcala, a serial killer, and Cheryl Bradshaw, a reality TV show contestant who chose him as her date. Besides Cheryl’s story, “Woman of the Hour” also shows the accounts of Rodney Alcala’s three other victims. One of them was a young woman, Amy (Autumn Best), who was struggling to make ends meet. Rodney noticed her one day. He pretended to be a photographer and gained her trust. Then he took her away and attempted to kill her. Midway, he stopped and started crying by himself. She noticed that and told him not to tell what happened between them to anyone in order to gain his trust. Then, she joined him at a gas station where she tricked him into getting arrested.
Besides that, we meet Charlie (Kathryn Gallagher), who seeks Rodney’s help to move her stuff into her apartment. He gained her trust and murdered her. Then, there’s Mario (Dylan Schmid), a journalist, who survived Rodney as the cops showed up at their office. Before appearing on The Dating Game, Rodney had spent time in jail for killing a minor. The showrunner either did not do their due diligence or did not care about letting a serial killer appear on a dating game and threatening a woman’s safety.
