• “Woman of the Hour” is based on the true story of Rodney Alcala, a serial killer who appeared on a dating show.
• The film’s young runaway actress, Amy, is inspired by Monique Hoyt, one of Alcala’s escaped targets.
• The character Laura represents people who voiced their concerns about Alcala but were ignored.

Netflix’s new movieWoman of the Day“It is inspired by the crazy story of Rodney Alcala, a serial killer who competes on a dating show, but focuses the story on a woman who narrowly escapes becoming one of his victims.

Starring “Woman of the Hour” Anna Kendrick Daniel Zovatto as Sheryl and Rodney in a dramatized version of Cheryl Bradshaw’s relationship with Alcala in a 1978 episode of the ABC show “The Dating Game.”

The film is Netflix’s latest to fuel viewers’ obsession. true crime. Since its release on Friday, it has risen to No. 2 on Netflix’s weekly top 10 most-watched movies list, with 9.9 million views in its first week of release.

“The Woman of the Hour” focuses primarily on Sheryl and Rodney’s encounter on a dating show. But the film also details some of Alcala’s murders that occurred before and after his first appearance, showing how he preyed on unsuspecting women and gained their trust before killing them.

In real life, Alcala was convicted of the murders of seven women and girls, but the real number is believed to be over 100. Few people survived their interactions with Alcala, most notably Tali Shapiro and Morgan Rowan.

Here’s how Amy and Laura, two key secondary characters in “The Woman of the Hour,” were inspired by real-life people.

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In ‘The Woman of the Hour’, runaway teenager Amy outsmarts Rodney and helps arrest him

Amy (Autumn’s Best) meets Rodney in San Gabriel, California, on Valentine’s Day 1979. Rodney fascinates her by calling her beautiful and asks her to be his model in a photography contest he wants to participate in.

Rodney tackles him as he takes photos of himself in the desert, away from possible witnesses. He wakes up with his hands and ankles tied, his jeans pulled down, and blood on his face and clothes.

Amy asks Rodney not to tell anyone what happened because he will be embarrassed. She then tricks Rodney by asking him if they can go back to his house, to which he agrees. When Rodney stops at the gas station to use the restroom and clean the blood from his fingernails, Amy takes the opportunity to flee before returning to her car.

The film ends with Amy stopping at a nearby diner after calling the police and watching with satisfaction and relief as they arrest Rodney.

Amy is based on Monique Hoyt, a real person who survived her encounter with Alcala

“The Woman of the Hour” includes a footnote referencing the real-life inspiration for the character Amy.

Hoyt was a 15-year-old runaway when he met Alcala on February 14, 1979. After raping her, Alcala escaped by asking her to keep their encounter a secret, convincing her that she wanted to continue seeing him.

The film ends with him being captured by the police, but in real life Alcala killed more people and was eventually convicted of the murders of seven women and children. During Alcala’s third trial In 2010, Hoyt, now an adult, testified against him.

“According to the prosecutor, ‘She showed up and put the nail in Rodney’s coffin,'” the “Woman of the Hour” post reads.

Alcala died of natural causes in July 2021 while incarcerated at Corcoran State Prison. Hoyt apparently kept a low profile, and little was known about what happened to him after he testified.

The character Laura represents real-life people who tried to talk about Alcala but were ignored

In “The Woman’s Woman”, Laura is an audience member of “The Dating Game” and recognizes Rodney as the man who raped and murdered her friend Alison last year.

In one scene, Laura expresses regret for leaving Alison alone at the bonfire with Rodney, even though she sensed something was wrong with her. Throughout the film, people doubt Laura and do not take her seriously when she expresses doubts about the “Dating Game” contestant. This includes her boyfriend Ken (Max Lloyd-Jones), a security guard on the set of the series, and an officer at the police station.

Laura’s experience reflects the fact that the real Alcala was reported to law enforcement multiple times but did not face consequences until later in his life.

“Laura really serves as a representation of all the people who are trying to raise the alarm and are being ignored,” Kendrick said. I kept it. “There are many heroes in this story, but they were outnumbered and outgunned by incompetence, neglect, and a culture that did not prioritize victims.”