Check out Anna Kendrick’s Netflix movie roles

Anna Kendrick’s directorial and starring debut Woman of the Hour premieres on Netflix on October 18. It follows the tragic, real-life trail of deaths left by serial killer and sex offender Rodney Alcala in the ’70s, while also being able to become a contestant on the popular game show “The Dating Game “.

Kendrick plays Cheryl Bradshaw, who starred in a 1978 episode of “The Dating Game,” where Alcala was selected as one of her suitors and won. After introducing himself to Alcalá, Bradshaw decided it was best not to meet him, as he made her uncomfortable.

In 1979, Alcalà was arrested and convicted of five murders between 1977-1979. He also pleaded guilty to two murders in New York and has been linked to others, but the actual number of his victims could be much higher. He was arrested and sentenced to death in California for the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl named Robin Samsoe. Prior to his appearance on “The Dating Show,” Alcalá had already served three years in prison for child abuse and was on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list for fleeing California after raping and assaulting a child eight years old

After being sentenced to death three times, Alcalá died of natural causes in prison in 2021 at the age of 77.

The film “Woman of the Hour” was written by Ian McDonald and produced by Miri Yoon, Roy Lee, Raphael Margules and JD Lifshitz. See the cast below.

Cheryl Bradshaw

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Anna Kendrick plays “The Dating Game” contestant Cheryl Bradshaw, who won a date with Rodney Alcala in 1978. Ellen Metzger, the show’s contestant coordinator at the time, said on an episode of “20/20” of ABC that Bradshaw called her after introducing herself to Alcalá and said, “‘Ellen, I can’t date this guy. There are weird vibes coming off him. It’s really weird. I’m not comfortable.’
Rodney Alcala

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Daniel Zovatto plays serial killer Alcalá who was sentenced to death in California after being found guilty of raping and murdering seven women between 1977 and 1979. Authorities estimate the actual number to be around 130 victims. He appeared and won “The Dating Game,” while having an arrest warrant for the attempted murder of an eight-year-old boy.
Ed Burke/Jim Lange

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Tony Hale plays game show host Ed Burke, who is based on “The Dating Game” host Jim Lange.
Charlie

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Kathryn Gallagher plays a version of Alcalà’s victim, Cornelia Crilley, who was murdered in June 1971. She was a 23-year-old flight attendant strangled by her stockings in her Manhattan apartment. Her death was linked to Alcalà when she was already on death row when the bite marks on her breasts and the saliva DNA on her body matched hers.
sarah

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Kelley Jakle plays an incarnation of a victim inspired by Christine Ruth Thornton. Thornton was on a road trip with her boyfriend from Texas to Montana when they got into a fight and broke up. At some point, she met a photographer, Alcalá, who murdered her and left her remains on the plains of Wyoming which were discovered five years later by a rancher. Thornton was pregnant at the time.
Runaway teenager

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Autumn Best plays “Amy,” a fictionalized version of the real-life teenage runaway who survived an encounter with Alcalá. The film claims that he did so by asking her “to keep the encounter a secret.” The role is based on a teenage girl whose identity is not being revealed because she was a minor. However, there are two possible inspirations for the role: survivor Tali Shapiro, who was sexually assaulted by Alcalá at the age of eight, and Morgan Rowan, who was also attacked and abused at the age of 16.
High School #1 and High School #2

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Jedidiah Goodacre and Matt Visser portray the two contestants who faced off against Alcalá on the September 13, 1978 episode of “The Dating Game”. His performance is not a direct reflection of the bachelors in the episode. The real-life contestants are actors Jed Mills and Armand Cerami. In an ABC “20/20” episode, Mills described getting a “creepy” vibe from Alcalà and that when they were in the green room before the show, Alcalà said, “I always got my girl.”
Terry

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Pete Holmes plays Bradshaw’s neighbor, who is not based on a real person in his life.
Laura

Image credit: Leah Gallo/Netflix

Nicolette Robinson plays the distraught and grieving friend of one of Alcalà’s victims who recognizes him on the TV show when she goes to see him with her boyfriend and family. His character cannot be identified with a real life story.