Anna Kendrick makes an impressive directorial debut with Woman of the Hour, a film loosely based on The Dating Game killer, Rodney Alcala.

Alcala infamously made an appearance on the game show in the midst of his multiple murders of women and children. The serial killer would eventually be convicted for five murders; it is suspected he could’ve killed as many as 130.

Kendrick stars as Sheryl, a fictionalized version of Cheryl Bradshaw, the woman who did indeed select Alcala (Daniel Zovatto, in a scary performance) out of three contestants for a date. That date never happened, because Alcala later gave off bad vibes, a reality depicted in the film.

Kendrick crafts a film that is not only suspenseful, but heartbreaking when it comes to the plight of Alcala’s victims. While those depicted in the film don’t have a lot of screen time, Kendrick establishes each one of them with surprising depth, making their plights all the more horrible.

Autumn Best is memorable as Amy, a teenage runaway who winds up in Alcala’s grasp—an encounter with surprising results.

While Kendrick’s film isn’t 100% historically accurate, her deviations are tasteful, and the story and its tragedies are treated with a much-welcomed sensitivity. There’s nothing sensationalistic in her approach, and her film winds up being a solidly effective piece of work.

Woman of the Hour is now streaming on Netflix.

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