Woman of the Hour | Film Review

 

Amidst a series of murders in LA, aspiring actress Cheryl (Anna Kendrick) crosses paths with a serial killer (Daniel Zovatto) on a dating show.

I was really excited to see this film as soon as I saw the trailer. Even in that short space of time it got across a tense, sinister atmosphere that made the film seem like a really interesting watch, especially being a true story.

Thankfully I loved the film, and the atmosphere it created was part of the reason why.

From the first scene we understand the tone and can already kind of guess how the rest of the film will feel.

The tension was created expertly. There were multiple times while watching the film where I was holding my breath without realising, and this feeling didn't go away until the film was over.

In the last 30 minutes particularly, I actually had to pause the film to remind myself to breathe because it was that intense. Those 30 minutes were so well written and crafted - I don't think I've even seen a full-on horror movie as scary as the car park scene yet this year.

The story is told in a captivating way, moving between the supporting and main characters. It made the film feel fast-paced while also keeping it interesting. We never really know where it's going and even when it feels like not much is happening, everything is happening.

The acting is another great thing. The film lives or dies based on Zovatto's performance and he does an excellent job of not only making the characters in the movie uncomfortable, but also putting the audience on edge.

There were a few stories, particularly Cheryl's, that felt unfinished by the time the credits rolled, but that is the nature of watching a true story, especially one based on a true crime. Audiences tend to want things wrapped up nicely and for most of the characters in this story, we can't get that.

And while I think the runtime was great, I could have watched more of this, especially if it meant seeing a bit more of the supporting characters.

Overall, this is a stunning directorial debut from Kendrick - ambitious, engaging, so well made and it's clear that there is a lot of passion behind it. This is definitely one I'd recommend!

8.5/10