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Netflix's Woman of the Hour was released on the streaming platform on Friday, October 11, 2024. The film is based on the serial killer, Rodney Alcala, who was also known as The Dating Game Killer. Alcala had taken part in the TV game show in 1978 while he was actively killing women and committing other crimes. It was due to his appearance on The Dating Game that Alcala was given the name.
Alcala was convicted of murdering at least seven women and girls across three states. However, the real number of his victims is believed to be much higher, as authorities suspect he may have as many as 130 victims.
The film also features the stories of two of Rodney's survivors - Tali Shapiro and Morgan Rowan. While Tali and Morgan managed to escape death at Alcala's hands, they did go through some traumatic experiences when he abducted them.
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The two women have since worked hard on rebuilding their lives and seeking justice against their captor and serial killer.
Anna Kendrick has directed and starred in Woman of the Hour, Netflix's latest true-story thriller. The film also stars Daniel Zovatto as Rodney Alcala, Autumn Best as Amy, and Kathryn Gallagher as Charlie.
Exploring in detail real-life women of Woman of the Hour and where they are today
1) Tali Shapiro
Tali Shapiro, one of Rodney Alcala's only surviving victims, was only eight years old when he kidnapped her. Woman of the Hour shows how Alcala lured Tali in 1968 while she was walking to school along Sunset Boulevard. He told her that he knew her parents and kidnapped her, taking her to his apartment, where he brutally assaulted her and left her for dead.
A bystander saw Alcala exhibiting suspicious behavior and alerted the police, who arrived at his place in time to save the young girl. Although she was alive, Tali had suffered a lot of trauma and spent months in the hospital recovering from the attack.
Woman of the Hour showed Shapiro's parents deciding against letting her testify in the trial, fearing that it would only traumatize her further. Alcala was charged with the assault but only served 34 months in prison as there was no key witness to testify against him.
Woman of the Hour's Shapiro was now living in Palm Springs and was on a quest to get justice. In 2010, she made sure to attend Alcala's sentencing and confront him, testifying against him. She acknowledged that her life was irrevocably changed, but she refused to let Alcala hold power over her any longer.
Tali Shapiro is an advocate for justice, ensuring that her voice and story contribute to preventing such horrors for others.
2) Morgan Rowan
Woman of the Hour showed how Morgan Rowan encountered the serial killer three years before he attacked Shapiro. She first met the serial killer in 1965 when she was just 13, and he was a charismatic figure who seemed harmless to the young girls.
Initially, Rowan did not perceive him as dangerous, but things changed when he forcefully dragged her into an alley. While she did manage to escape without significant harm, she didn't report him as she didn't perceive him to be a big threat.
In 1968, Rowan found herself in another terrifying situation when she and her friends accepted a ride from Alcala. He took them to his house under the pretext of hanging out. Once there, Alcala attacked Rowan again, this time in a locked bedroom.
Her friends, who were concerned when she didn't return for a long time, broke into Rodney's room through a window, stopping the attack. Their intervention saved her life. However, Rowan didn't report the attack and lived with immense guilt for several years.
She seemingly believed that if she had reported Alcala earlier, she could have prevented his subsequent crimes. When she eventually moved to New York with her family, she struggled with the trauma and the weight of her silence.
Decades later, she saw news reports about Alcala’s 2010 sentencing and felt overwhelmed with emotions. Realizing that Tali Shapiro was one of his victims, she wrote a letter to Shapiro, apologizing for not speaking up sooner.
Shapiro responded and told Rowan that she held no blame and that Alcala alone was responsible for the crimes he committed. The two women have since formed a close bond, becoming “chosen family.” They meet regularly, finding solace and strength in their shared experiences.
Rowan continues to live with the trauma, often haunted by memories of that night. She sees Alcala’s death in 2021 as a turning point, not a source of joy, but a moment of reflection on the darkness he brought into the world.
Today, Woman of the Hour's Rowan remains dedicated to sharing her story, hoping to inspire young girls to trust their instincts and remove themselves from uncomfortable situations.
Woman of the Hour sheds light on the stories of Tali Shapiro and Morgan Rowan, two of the only survivors of serial killer Rodney Alcala. While Rodney Alcala's crimes are forever etched into history as acts of evil, the resilience and bravery of his victims stand in sharp contrast.
Interested viewers can watch the Anna Kendrick directorial, Woman of the Hour on Netflix.
