Netflix drops trailer for Anna Kendrick's new true crime thriller — and it's a dating nightmare

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'Woman of the Hour' is 90% on Rotten Tomatoes

Anna Kendrick as Sheryl and Daniel Zovatto as Rodney in Woman of the Hour
(Image credit: Netflix)

Dating is nightmare enough without adding a serial killer into the mix. Netflix just shared a teaser trailer for its upcoming true crime thriller movie "Woman of the Hour," the directorial debut of star Anna Kendrick. 

The first sneak peek at the movie dropped a few weeks ago and the new trailer reinforces our hope that "Woman of the Hour" might be one of Netflix's best movies of the year. It premiered to great acclaim at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival and currently holds a fantastic 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Netflix has set a premiere date of Oct. 18.

Described as "stranger than fiction," "Woman of the Hour" follows aspiring actress Cheryl Bradshaw (Kendrick) in 1970s Los Angeles as she goes on the popular show "The Dating Game" as a contestant and meets Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto). What she doesn't know is that her suitor is a serial killer responsible for at least eight murders across the country.

Poor Cheryl even admits, "I don’t date much — I don’t date at all, actually. My agent said it would get me seen.”

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She's seen, alright, though Cheryl will go on to wish ghosting had been a thing at the time. Alcala's true number of victims remains unknown to this day and could be as high as 130.

The trailer provides a glimpse at a very unsettling date that Cheryl goes on with Rodney after their game show match. After dinner, he follows her to a dark parking lot ... it's the stuff of any single woman's nightmares.

'Woman of the Hour' reviews are glowing

Since "Woman of the Hour" debuted at last year's Toronto Film Festival, it's got plenty of reviews from critics. And the majority of them rave about the film. 

It "smartly weaves into the narrative the many ways in which women are conditioned to put up with men," wrote Vox's Alissa Wilkinson. 

Brian Tallerico at RogerEbert.com called it "a confidently made thriller that’s not just a true crime story but an unpacking of systemic misogyny and how it encourages violence."

The Atlantic's Shirley Li said, "Kendrick proves herself a skillful director, with a knack for building suspense."

Deadline's Pete Hammond also praised Kendrick's directorial skills, saying she "shows a real talent for staging scenes; one in particular had me jumping from my seat."

Add 'Woman of the Hour' to your watch list

With those reviews in mind, we're marking "Woman of the Hour's" premiere date on our digital calendar: Oct. 18. 

Netflix seems to be on a bit of a roll with movies so far this late summer/fall. With "Rebel Ridge," the streamer finally had a No. 1 movie worth watching. "Woman of the Hour" looks destined to be the next. 

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Kelly Woo
Kelly Woo
Managing editor, streaming

Kelly is the managing editor of streaming for Tom’s Guide, so basically, she watches TV for a living. Previously, she was a freelance entertainment writer for Yahoo, Vulture, TV Guide and other outlets. When she’s not watching TV and movies for work, she’s watching them for fun, seeing live music, writing songs, knitting and gardening.