Woman of the Hour
Woman of the Hour
Woman of the Hour is based on the stranger-than-fiction true story of Cheryl Bradshaw and Rodney Alcala. Bradshaw was a bachelorette on the hit '70s TV matchmaking show The Dating Game and chose handsome and funny bachelor No. 3, Rodney Alcala. But behind Alcala's charming facade was a deadly secret: He was a psychopathic serial killer.
Kent reviewedMay 11, 2025
When a film is based on a true story and uses real people's names (changing one letter doesn't count, like Cheryl to Sheryl), it should strive for accuracy. This film takes significant liberties, using grandiose and inaccurate embellishments to push a political narrative. I wouldn't have minded if they had completely changed the names of the characters.
Kendrick's directorial debut shows solid capability, but nothing spectacular.
The film's politics depict every woman as intelligent, proper, and of strong character, while portraying all men as toxic. Here are some truths that were ignored:
Watch the original segment of "The Dating Game" with Rodney Alcala and Cheryl Bradshaw, and you'll see what I mean. In the film, Rodney Alcala is shown as intelligent, suave, handsome, and smooth, someone a woman would fall for. In reality, he wasn't a manipulator; he was crass, idiotic, lecherous, and rather stupid. He used "banana" as an innuendo for his genitalia. He was a creepy, weird loser. In the film, Cheryl Bradshaw is depicted as intelligent, refined, and capable of putting chauvinistic, sexist men in their place. In reality, she said she liked bananas and acted as moronic and lecherous as Alcala. I'm glad the real Bradshaw eventually saw him for what he was and didn't go on the date (which was to Magic Mountain, not Cabo San Lucas, Mexico).
There is no evidence to suggest that Jim Lange, the host of "The Dating Game," was a male chauvinist or an overall bad or mean person. His family should be offended and appalled that Kendrick chose to falsely portray his character as full of toxic masculinity. Lange was a good man.
The other bachelors on the show were depicted as moronic and prurient. Neither was the case; they were simply mundane, dull, and uncreative.
It never happened that a woman audience member recognized Alcala on stage and tried to report it. Kendrick chose to insert another lie to push the toxic masculinity of the security guard, which was very unnecessary.
The situation of how Alcala was apprehended wasn't even remotely true. The last victim of Alcala was another fabrication to push political narratives with strong feminist ideals. HOWEVER, I loved that Amy (played by Autumn Best) asked Rodney Alcala not to tell anyone about the incident, which ultimately saved her life. False, but well done. One of my best friends was almost abducted when she left a party briefly to get some fresh air. A man grabbed her and said she was coming with him. She told him that was great because she needed to get away from her ex inside. She handed him her smartphone and told him to hold it while she got her purse. That gained his trust, and he let her leave. She asked us to call the police, and he was arrested. Seeing the same type of behavior in the film was great to see. I love to see where any sex offender gets what he (or she) deserves.