Explaining the Story Behind Netflix’s Woman of the Hour

The film Woman of the Hour made its Netflix debut on October 18, 2024, marking the directorial debut of Anna Kendrick. This gripping narrative draws inspiration from the real-life events surrounding one of the most notorious serial killers in American history, Rodney Alcala, who operated during the 1970s.

Rodney Alcala initially came into public awareness when he participated in the 1978 episode of the television show The Dating Game. At that time, he was already in the midst of a series of horrific crimes, which were later uncovered largely due to the extensive collection of photographs he had taken of his victims. Alcala passed away in 2021 while waiting for execution on death row.

A Dramatized Representation of Rodney Alcala’s Narrative

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODUdpwddTQk

Woman of the Hour | Official Trailer | Netflix (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODUdpwddTQk)

Woman of the Hour offers a dramatized account of Alcala’s infamous appearance on The Dating Game, intertwined with the grim crimes he was committing during that period. The film does not shy away from depicting some of Alcala’s brutal tactics, including the chilling method of strangling his victims to the brink of unconsciousness, only to revive them repeatedly to prolong their suffering.

The disturbing narrative surrounding Alcala’s criminal activities was largely pieced together from a staggering collection of over 1,000 photographs showcasing young boys and girls, many appearing in exploitative poses. According to a report by WION News dated July 26, 2021, although he was ultimately convicted for eight murders, authorities believe he might be linked to as many as 130 additional killings.

Alcala’s first run-in with law enforcement occurred in 1968 when he lured an eight-year-old girl named Tali Shapiro to his home by falsely claiming to know her parents. Police discovered her severely beaten and assaulted while Alcala evaded capture.

By 1971, Alcala earned a spot on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. After his arrest that year, he was put on trial for the assault on Shapiro but only received a conviction for child molestation, as prosecutors opted not to pursue harsher charges due to the victim’s reluctance to testify.

In 1978, while working as a typesetter for the Los Angeles Times, Alcala tried to reinvent himself as a fashion photographer, using this guise to lure individuals into suggestive photo shoots.

His notable appearance on The Dating Game, which serves as a focal point of Woman of the Hour, occurred during this period. The episode featured Jim Lange as the host, who introduced Alcala as a photographer with an adventurous side, including skydiving and motorcycle riding.

As depicted in Woman of the Hour, Alcala won a date with contestant Cheryl Bradshaw, who ultimately refused to go out with him, deeming him untrustworthy. Following this rejection, it is believed that Alcala went on to murder at least three more women. Criminal profiler Pat Brown speculated that this rejection could have ignited further violence in Alcala’s already troubled mind.

“One wonders what that did in his mind. That is something he would not take too well. Psychopaths don’t understand the rejection. They think that something is wrong with that girl: ‘She played me. She played hard to get.’ She wanted to live,”said Pat Brown in an interview with CNN.

Alcala’s criminal activities finally caught up with him in July 1979 when he was charged with the murder of 12-year-old Christine Samsoe. His first trial ended in a mistrial due to improper revelation of his history, yet he continued to face allegations linking him to other murders, leading to a combined trial for Samsoe and four additional victims. Representing himself, Alcala was ultimately found guilty of first-degree murder on all counts and sentenced to death in March 2010.

The authorities never executed Alcala, as he died naturally in prison on July 24, 2021.

Woman of the Hour is now streaming on Netflix.

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