This morning’s Oscar nominations were dominated by Netflix’s Emilia Perez, which picked up a total of 13 nominations.  Though it has yet to win an Oscar for Best Picture, Netflix has definitely picked up its game over the past few years.  Every year, there’s a major contender that’s produced and released by Netflix.  The Irishman, Marriage Story, Power of the Dog, Maestro, they were all films that were heavily pushed by Netflix.  This year, Netflix actually had many potential contenders but, in the end, it put its full weight behind Emilia Perez and it paid off this morning.  Whether it will pay off on Oscar night had yet to be seen.

Unfortunately, that means there a few Netflix films that got pushed to the side.  As many mentioned this morning, Angelina Jolie’s performance in Netflix’s Maria was ignored, despite having been viewed as an Oscar lock just a few months ago.  The Piano Lesson also failed to pick up a nomination for Danielle Deadwyler.  Myself, I wish that Netflix would have just spent a bit more time pushing a film called Woman Of The Hour.

Woman of the Hour is the directorial debut of Anna Kendrick and it’s about as far from the light-hearted world of Pitch Perfect as one can get.  Based on a true story, the 70s-set film features Kendrick as Sheryl Bradshaw, an aspiring actress who goes on The Dating Game and asks questions to three contestants, not knowing that Bachelor #3 is actually a serial killer named Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto).

The film jumps back and forth in time, mixing Sheryl’s appearance on the tacky game show with the horrific crimes of Rodney Alcala.  On the show, Sheryl grows frustrated with the stupid, pre-written questions that she’s been handed and instead, she starts asking her own questions.  The three “bachelors” are taken by surprise but only Alcala is able to keep up with Sheryl.  Separated from Sheryl and just hearing her questions, Alcala manages to sound like an intelligent and interesting human being.  (As with most serial killers, Alcala is a master manipulator and knows what to say to put people at ease.)  It’s only after Sheryl selects him and they have a face-to-face meeting that Sheryl comes to realize that Alcala is not the man he presented himself as being.

The film’s style might seem disjointed to some.  Woman of the Hour is full of flashbacks and flashforwards.  The empty glitz of the Dating Game and Sheryl’s refusal to play dumb for the approval of the show’s producers is contrasted with the brutality of Alcala’s crimes.  It’s a technique that builds a sense of dread and inevitability.  Sheryl may not know who Bachelor #3 is but we do and it’s hard not to worry when it becomes obvious that he’s the bachelor she’s going to pick.  Even more importantly, the film contrasts the show’s casual misogyny with Alcala’s own hatred of women.  Kendrick uses the film to comment on the everyday fears women navigate, from the casual sexism of the show’s producers to the outright danger of a predator like Rodney Alcala.  There’s a poignant scene where Sheryl encounters a casting director’s crass comments about her body, undoubtedly reflecting the real-life experiences Kendrick herself has faced.  (“I’m sure they look fine,” one smarmy producer says after Sheryl explains that she doesn’t do nude scenes.)  This is a thriller but it’s also a critique wrapped in suspense.

Woman of the Hour is a compelling watch, not just for its thrilling narrative but for its heart-wrenching look at the vulnerability of women in a predatory world.  Kendrick proves herself as a director with a voice, one that’s both fresh and deeply personal.   Woman of the Hour is a film worth 94 minutes of your time.