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Serial killers in film are often synonymous with slashers or crime procedurals, leaving very little to the imagination when it comes to narrative structure. Typically, you get a killer whose crimes slowly escalate, a damsel in distress who either becomes one of many victims or the final girl, and an ending where good prevails over evil and everybody goes home saying, “That’s just about what I was expecting.” I’m not knocking slashers or procedurals because they’re still fun and, when done well, make for a great viewing experience.

2023’s Woman of the Hour, on the other hand, ignores those familiar beats and tells its story through multiple timelines that converge at just the right moment. The audience understands how everything connects while the characters take a little longer to catch up from their respective vantage points, which makes the payoff all the more satisfying.

Even if you’re familiar with the true crime story involving real-life serial killer Rodney Alcala that the film is based on, Woman of the Hour reshapes those events into something so uniquely structured that you’ll wish more stories were told this way. As a viewer, you feel omniscient. The thrills come from waiting for the characters to realize what you already know.

Set On A Game Show Lot, But So Much More Than That

Set between 1971 and 1979, Woman of the Hour introduces Rodney Alcala, depicted strangling a woman in 1977 after luring her to a remote location for a photo shoot. The film then shifts to 1978 Los Angeles, where we meet our primary protagonist, struggling actress Sheryl Bradshaw (Anna Kendrick), whose agent convinces her to appear as a contestant on The Dating Game.

Reluctant because she believes the gig is beneath her, Sheryl shows up to the taping and turns on the charm with Bachelor #1 (Matt Visser), Bachelor #2 (Jedidiah Goodacre), and Bachelor #3 (Daniel Zovatto), who just so happens to be Rodney Alcala. By this point, Woman of the Hour has already shown Rodney murdering a flight attendant named Charlie (Kathryn Gallagher) in 1971 New York City, along with the woman from the opening sequence. Now dialing in the charm for the TV lights, Rodney quickly gains the upper hand on The Dating Game, putting himself in position to win a weekend getaway to Carmel-by-the-Sea with Sheryl.

During the taping, a studio audience member named Laura (Nicolette Robinson) recognizes Rodney as the man who murdered her friend, but was never found by police. Panicked, she flees the production floor and knocks over a camera in the process. Her boyfriend dismisses her claims, and security brushes her off as well.

Before we learn Sheryl’s immediate fate, the film jumps to 1979, where a woman named Amy (Autumn Best) encounters Rodney under circumstances similar to his earlier victims. He offers to take her photos in a remote area, his violent side begins to surface, and the scene cuts away as Woman of the Hour transitions back to the game show. There, Sheryl takes creative liberties with her flirtatious questions, winning over the audience, and ultimately chooses Bachelor #3 as the winner.

The Suspense Comes From Knowing

Even if you’re unfamiliar with Rodney Alcala’s real-life murder spree in the 70s, which eventually led to his capture and incarceration, Woman of the Hour still generates relentless tension. By the time Sheryl meets Rodney on The Dating Game, we already know exactly what he’s capable of. Nobody else does.

Laura’s suspicions are met with condescension. Her boyfriend reassures her that game show producers aggressively vet contestants and run background checks before allowing them to participate. They don’t. Complicating matters further, Rodney is a serial killer operating across multiple states over several years who has not yet been definitively identified by authorities.

We witness Rodney’s crimes across separate timelines and see how easily he evades consequences. We catch glimpses of his mental state both when he commits violence and when he’s questioned by authorities, narrowly slipping through their fingers before relocating. We see how sly and charming he can be before he escalates, which makes his presence on The Dating Game all the more unnerving. He’s amiable enough to lure victims in, but that facade drops the second he senses control slipping.

The result is a nail-biting thriller where you know the killer from the moment he appears in the opening scene. The tension doesn’t come from guessing who did it. It comes from watching him zero in on Sheryl, who is blissfully unaware and simply trying to carve out a career in Hollywood, while Laura struggles to convince anyone to listen.

Woman of the Hour is streaming on Netflix.