Kendrick's directorial debut shows great potential in her ability to blend moods, her sense of pacing to build suspense, and her visual eye for what to put in frame--and what to leave out.
Woman of the Year could be accused of skating on the surface of the perpetrator's horrific criminal record. Zovatto's Alcala is appropriately creepy, but the film makes pains not to dwell too much on the actual crimes, which are seen in flashbacks that cut away at key moments and get at a small fraction of his alleged crimes.
Instead, Kendrick seems more interested in conveying the era's rampant sexism. Men are depicted on a predator range that runs from needy neighbors and single-minded bachelors to dismissive and insulting authority figures to a serial killer nearly getting away with an estimated 130 murders.
Female viewers in particular are likely to find something to relate to, despite the generational changes, whether that be the gut-level terror of a man following you in a parking lot or the frustration of being ignored, underestimated, or disbelieved.
Full review available at Common Sense Media
Images courtesy of Netflix
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