46/10
Some of Sheryl’s bad experiences as an aspiring actress mirror Anna’s own
Narrative
Sheryl Bradshaw, a single woman looking for a suitor on the hit TV show of the 1970s, chooses charming bachelor Rodney Alcala, unaware that behind the man’s suave facade hides a deadly secret. The comment about Sheryl’s breasts was “literally taken 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 stories that reveal what happened after the film. Her name was actually spelled Sheryl, which was correct on the cast list.
Ed: That marks the end of our game
Well, Cheryl, it’s time for you to make a decision!. Reference in CTV News at Six Toronto: September 8, 2023 episode (2023). This movie spoke to me for several reasons. I was a student at the time depicted in this film and I remember well how naive many young women were about how manipulative, cunning and dangerous some men can be.
It annoyed me a little at first, but in the end it all made sense
I am happy that nothing happened to me, because I must have taken risks in situations where I should have known better. And then when something like a sexual crime happened to a young woman, the police didn’t always take it seriously. They often thought that the girl was asking for it because, for example, she wore a short skirt and walked alone at night. The pace of this film is deliberate and intense, and shifts between time frames and victims.
Zovatto turned out to be creepy AF
I thought Anna Kendrick and Daniel Zovatto did a great job in their roles. A few points are, of course, made up, and I’m not sure how many. I’ve read a bit about Rodney Alcala and the way he was arrested is basically correct. If you can handle the slow pace of this movie, it’s well worth watching..