When the game-show contestant is a serial killer.
‘Woman of the Hour’
Based on the time the serial killer Rodney Alcala appeared on “The Dating Game” in the midst of his crime spree, Anna Kendrick directs herself as the woman Alcala is competing for.
From our review:
As a drama, “Woman of the Hour” is effective and infuriating. But about midway through, it starts to feel a bit too self-consciously illustrative. This is a story with a lesson to teach the audience: Women are uncomfortable far more than they let on, and that means a predator like Alcala can move through the world undetected for years. It’s a truth worth illustrating.
Watch on Netflix. Read the full review.
Critic’s pick
It’s the G7 summit but bonkers.
‘Rumours’
A group of world leaders (including Cate Blanchett as the German chancellor) gathers for the annual G7 summit but end up abandoned in the woods in this dark comedy directed by Guy Maddin and his longtime collaborators Evan and Galen Johnson.
From our review:
[“Rumours” is] sporadically ingenious, occasionally chilling and entirely bonkers. … This film’s utter contempt for our leaders’ ineptitude, expressed in the hilarious sight of a circle of bog men frantically masturbating over a campfire, is strangely bracing.
In theaters. Read the full review.
Critic’s pick
Smiling through the terror.
‘Smile 2’
Directed by Parker Finn, Naomi Scott is Skye Riley, a pop star experiencing violent hallucinations that eventually take place in front of an audience.
From our review:
Scott (who has a real background in music) beautifully anchors the film’s twists and shocks. … Skye’s not a vengeful figure, but under the smiling curse, it’s not hard to see how her brutal manifestations of unhappiness and trauma are also retaliations against the people — and yes, even the fans — who don’t treat her like a real human.
In theaters. Read the full review.
critic’s pick
