Woman of the Hour (2023)
An aspiring actress in 1970s Los Angeles crosses paths with a prolific serial killer when both appear on an episode of “The Dating Game.” Based on a true story, the film follows her uneasy encounter with the charming but dangerous Rodney Alcala as his crimes come to light.
Narrative Score
Full Plot & Ending Explained
Intro
The film opens in 1977 Wyoming, where Rodney Alcala photographs an unnamed woman on the plains, wins her trust by talking about her painful breakup, then brutally strangles her, revives her, and kills her again. The story then shifts among Rodney’s murders and Sheryl Bradshaw’s life in 1978 Los Angeles, where she is struggling to find acting work and is pressured by her agent to appear on The Dating Game.
Turning Point 1
In 1971 New York City, Charlie, a flight attendant moving into a new apartment, sees Rodney taking photos across the street and asks for help carrying furniture. Rodney comes inside, assaults her, and kills her, establishing how he uses charm and a harmless image to gain access to women.
Turning Point 2
In 1978 Los Angeles, Sheryl reluctantly agrees to go on The Dating Game for publicity. On set, she is treated as a decorative prop by the production, while Rodney appears on the other side of the partition as “Bachelor #3,” projecting a smooth, witty, harmless persona.
Turning Point 3
Laura, a woman in the studio audience, recognizes Rodney as the man she saw with her friend Alison before Alison was raped and murdered on a beach. Laura tries to warn people, but her boyfriend dismisses her, and when she asks to speak to a producer, a guard misdirects her, showing how the warning signs are ignored.
Turning Point 4
During the live show, Sheryl grows uneasy with the sexist scripted questions and later goes off-script, asking the bachelors what girls are for. Rodney answers in a way that sounds thoughtful and nonthreatening, which helps him continue deceiving everyone on set.
Turning Point 5
After the taping, Rodney and Sheryl go out for drinks, but Sheryl remains wary. The film then returns to Rodney’s pattern of predation: he spots young women in vulnerable situations, offers them modeling opportunities and photographs, and isolates them under the guise of helping their careers.
Turning Point 6
In 1979 San Gabriel, Rodney targets Amy, a young runaway living on the streets. He lures her with promises of modeling work, drives her into the desert, photographs her, and then attacks her, continuing the film’s depiction of his escalating violence.
Ending
Amy wakes up in the desert bruised, bound, and partially nude beside a crying Rodney. She manipulates him into untying her by convincing him they should return to his apartment, and the film then cuts to Rodney’s eventual arrest, closing on the survival of one victim and the capture of the killer.
Cross-checked against Wikipedia and other public film references. View on Letterboxd ↗ The Narrative Score above is an experimental 5-axis rating, not a critic score.