14/28

Some of Sheryl's bad experiences as an aspiring actress mirror those of Anna Kendrick

Tale

Sheryl Bradshaw, a single woman looking for a suitor on a hit 1970s TV series, chooses charming bachelor Rodney Alcala, unaware that behind the man's kind facade lies a deadly secret. The comment about Sheryl's breasts is "taken literally from something that happened to me when I was 19." Near the end of the film, her name is spelled Cheryl in one of the narrations revealing what happened after the film. In reality, her name is spelled Sheryl, which was correct in the cast list.

Ed: This marks the end of our game

Well, Cheryl, it's time to make a decision! Quoted in CTV News at Six Toronto: Episode dated September 8, 2023 (2023). This movie spoke to me for a couple of reasons.

I'm lucky that nothing happened to me, because I've definitely taken risks in situations where I should have known better

I was a college student during the time period depicted in this film, and I remember very well how naive many young women were about how manipulative, devious, and dangerous some men could be. And then when something like a sex crime did happen to a young woman, law enforcement didn't always take it seriously. They often assumed the girl was asking for it because, for example, she was wearing a short skirt and walking alone at night.

Zovatto came across as creepy AF

The pacing of this film is deliberate and intense, and it jumps back and forth between time frames and victims. I found it a little jarring at first, but it made sense by the end. I thought Anna Kendrick and Daniel Zovatto played their roles extremely well.

Some of it is fictionalized, of course, and I don't know how much

I've read up on Rodney Alcala, and the way he was arrested is essentially accurate. If you can stomach the slow pace of this movie, it's worth a watch. No need to waste your time scrolling endlessly: here's the full lineup of new movies and TV shows streaming on Netflix this month.