directed by Anna Kendrick
Before watching this film I was just slightly curious, but after… this is one of the best thrillers told from a woman’s perspective. If you’re discouraged by the average ratings, let me tell you what’s going on here (without too many spoilers) and I hope you’ll see the film yourself. We’re meeting Sheryl Bradshaw (Anna Kendrick), a young woman from Pennsylvania, who’s about to take part in a TV show called “The Dating Game”. During the show there’s a wall dividing the stage to two parts – Sheryl is sitting on the left together with the host, and there are 3 male candidates sitting on the right. The woman has to ask questions to the 3 men and finally decide which one she chooses to go on a date with. As I said at the beginning, this isn’t a romance or romcom full of overly cute dialogues – it’s a damn good thriller. You see, one of the men sitting behind that wall is actually a murderer, who’s killed several women but hasn’t been caught. Sheryl obviously doesn’t know about it, so there’s still a chance she might choose him. Will she? That’s for you to see. So, to be precise, this is a story about a serial killer, but told from the perceptive of a woman that happens to meet him on that show. To spice things up, this film is based on real events and such man did exist. His name was Rodney Alcala and the number of his victims is still unknown, but experts estimate it’s 130… 130 women could have lost their lives because of that one man. I had chills when I read about it and I’m thankful that Anna decided to make this story more visible. This production is actually her debut as a director and despite some average reviews, I believe she did a marvellous job. Somehow, maaaaybe it’s a coincidence, but most negative reviews are coming from male reviewers… It is quite interesting, especially since this film has a lot of female energy, in my opinion. I mean, Anna very much focused on the emotions of all the women presented there. She showed genuine trust that women may have at first when meeting someone, she showed determination when a victim is trying to escape, she showed trauma that’s present after losing someone’s best friend etc. Personally, I felt each character very much and she led the actors in a magnificent way. In fact, the scene where Sheryl (so Anna herself) is walking away at the parking lot is incredibly powerful. I’m not saying that men won’t understand this film – of course they will and there’s no discrimination, because all you need is a pinch of empathy. That’s it. However, women might understand it better because they might have been in such situations. Walking alone at night with your keys in a hand imitating a weapon. Feeling dizzy each time you need to pass some stranger standing there and staring at you. Feeling like a bird in a cage when someone on the train or bus sits next to you and starts flirting. Or simply saying “no” and seeing the rage on the other person’s face. I’ve been there, several times, and I know exactly what Anna wanted to express with this film. Once again, I’m thankful for this production and I really hope you’ll decide to see it. Especially if you’re a man who says “but not all men”.
My rating: 8/10
S.
I have nothing to watch 