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Writer's picturechristophermizerak

Woman of the Hour (2024) - Film Review

Give props to Anna Kendrick where it's due. It isn't everyday that an actress such as Kendrick goes to the other side of the chair and helms the project she's starring in. And with the new Netflix thriller "Woman of the Hour", she makes her directorial debut. My bottom line on her first effort is as such. There is potential in Kendrick as a storyteller overall that will only ripen with time. Whether you get into this particular film, however, will depend on some key factors. But more on that later.


Kendrick stars as a struggling actress who reluctantly agrees to appear on a TV show called "The Dating Game". What no one, including the actress, realizes is that one of the contestants in this episode is actually a serial killer (Daniel Zovatto). The film is ironically more about his back story and the victims that crossed his path, dead or alive, than the actress herself. My favorite narrative element from this film involves his encounter with this free spirit (Autumn Best).


My reasoning stems from it being vague in all the right areas and challenging what we were able to predict before. I also dug Best's repertoire towards Zovatto and how she could hold her own. Kendrick has always been a reliable actress, even in works I don't like such as the "Pitch Perfect" films. That distinction still holds true with her leading role here. Kendrick's interactions with the contestants on the show see her flirty and playful side that we all embrace in her other works.


The trick into becoming completely invested with "Woman of the Hour" will depend on the viewer's ability to overlook familiar and formulaic material. Another film about an aspiring actress struggling to make ends meet within the film medium. Another narrative showcasing how evil men are and why women do their best to avoid them. As you might have picked up, "Woman of the Hour" is entering into overcrowded genres that are stale and need a break to catch their breath.


This can best explain why I'm personally underwhelmed by the experience. There isn't much in this narrative that I haven't already experienced, especially as of late. "The Substance" addressed similar but different issues that women face in Hollywood, albeit in a more exaggerated fashion. "Apartment 7A" follows a lead struggling in some form of entertainment business and attempting to fend off a domineering source of evil power. Granted, those are horror films as opposed to a thriller like this one. The fact remains that this is a fairly derivative narrative.


Conflicted as I am on whether or not it stands out from its competition, Netflix was a perfect outlet for a film such as this to release on. If "Woman of the Hour" were released in theaters, I think it'd just be another run-of-the-mill thriller. A Netflix subscription conversely is a far more reasonable bargain as opposed to spending $10-15 or more for a ticket. That's why between a 6 or 6.5, this film just barely gets the latter out of respect for what it does right rather than what it's lacking.


Final Verdict: 6.5/10

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