What to stream: Compare approach of ‘Woman of the Hour’ to other serial killer films

Anna Kendrick makes her directorial debut with the chilling “Woman of the Hour,” which premieres Friday on Netflix. Kendrick also stars in the film written by Ian McDonald, based on the true story of serial killer Rodney Alcala, who once appeared on — and won — “The Dating Game.” Kendrick stars as Sheryl, a struggling actress who appears on the show while trying to jump-start her career. Her experience taping the dating show and having a drink with winner Rodney (played by Daniel Zovatto) is intercut with depictions of Alcala’s attacks on women both before and after he appeared on the show, including one of his last victims, a young runaway played devastatingly by Autumn Best.

“Woman of the Hour” is a strong debut from Kendrick, bringing together not just the chilling details of Alcala’s murder spree and bizarre TV appearance, but also the misogyny that permeates society, from the repugnant sexism of the TV show itself, to the men who are unable to believe women when they report feeling afraid, uneasy, or even when they have evidence of crimes (Alcala was reported to the police many, many times before he was finally tried and imprisoned for 10 murders).

Kendrick and McDonald’s take on the material is a somewhat unique approach to films about real-life serial killers, focusing on the victims themselves or would-be victims, in Sheryl. Often films try to understand these people through the investigators tracking them down, or through specific relationships. But after “Woman of the Hour,” compare and contrast the film with these other movies based on real serial killers.

Many films focus on the police or journalists investigating the crimes, such as David Fincher’s 2007 masterpiece “Zodiac,” written by James Vanderbilt, based on the book by Robert Graysmith. Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr. star as journalists at the San Francisco Chronicle, the newspaper receiving missives from the Zodiac Killer, during his Bay Area murder spree in the 1970s. Stream it on MGM+ or rent it elsewhere.

Similarly, “Boston Strangler,” the 2023 film, stars Keira Knightley and Carrie Coon as reporters breaking the case of the Boston Strangler murders in the Boston Record American in the 1960s. Directed by Matt Ruskin, the film is streaming on Hulu

In 2003, Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho delivered his own murder-mystery masterpiece, with “Memories of Murder,” based on the case of Lee Choon-jae, convicted of 10 murders in South Korea in the late 1980s. Song Kang-ho (of “Parasite”) stars as one of the inexperienced police investigators looking into the murders. It’s a true masterpiece of tone, combining dread and dark humor like only Bong can. Stream it on Tubi or rent it on iTunes.

Other ways into the famed murderer’s mind is through those close to them, which has been the approach for many films about high-profile serial killers like Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer and Aileen Wuornos.

Zac Efron starred as Bundy in the Netflix original film “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” (2019), directed by Joe Berlinger, which is seen from the perspective of Bundy’s girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer (“Liz” is played by Lily Collins).

Luke Kirby took a turn as Bundy in the 2021 film “No Man of God” directed by Amber Sealey, which looks at the serial killer through his relationship with FBI analyst Bill Hagmaier (Elijah Wood) who got to know Bundy while he was on death row. Stream it on AMC+ or rent it on iTunes or Amazon.

There’s also the 2003 film “Monster,” in which Charlize Theron won her Oscar for playing the fascinating female serial killer Aileen Wuornos, on the run with her girlfriend (played by Christina Ricci). Stream it on Prime Video or Amazon Freevee.

And finally, check out “My Friend Dahmer,” the 2017 film by Marc Meyers, starring Ross Lynch as a young Jeffrey Dahmer, struggling to get through high school, before his notorious murders. Stream it on Prime Video, Hulu, Peacock, Kanopy, Tubi, and Freevee.