Anna Kendrick's New Movie Exposes The Sinister Side Of A "Male Feminist"

Anna Kendrick has made her directorial debut with Woman of the Hour, a thriller resonating with many women. The film garnered a 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes just days after its release.

According to the synopsis, the story is about serial killer Rodney Alcala, who infamously charmed his way onto The Dating Game while amid his gruesome spree. Kendrick stars as Sheryl Bradshaw, an aspiring actress who finds herself involved with a man who presents himself as charming and progressive, appealing to a more feminist perspective in order to manipulate women.

Many have raved about the movie. Africasnas on X writes, "Anna Kendrick did a great job directing this film; there wasn't any sexualizing or adding charm to a serial killer. She also didn't show us redundant scenes of sexual abuse and physical abuse or women's dead bodies for shock factor like male directors love to do."

The façade the serial killer upholds is similar to the modern “male feminist” archetype, which espouses feminist beliefs while hiding ulterior motives. 

This “Nice Guy” Syndrome – where a guy makes his entire personality revolve around his girlfriend or wife – is all too familiar. The “nice guy” acts like a gentleman, not out of genuine respect, but because he thinks it’ll score him some action. Then there’s the type who echoes Ned Fulmer from the “Try Guys,” endlessly praising his wife while secretly cheating on her with an employee. These personas disguise their real intentions behind a facade of love and support for women to mask their harmful behavior.

Sadly, modern feminism has become an alibi for some men. They become pro-sex work and claim that it’s empowering when, in reality, it allows them to objectify women.

Likewise, director and screenwriter Joss Whedon positioned himself as a feminist only to ultimately prove himself a hypocrite, allegedly manipulating women for his own gain. Self-described male feminists often reflect the “nice guy” mindset, believing they’re owed something for being “nice.” Their actions reveal a belief that basic social niceties should lead to romantic or sexual rewards.

We can’t ignore that nice guys leverage feminism for their gain. When their tactics fail, they align with feminist rhetoric, banking on women feeling safe around self-identified feminists. We must differentiate between a “nice guy” and a trustworthy man.

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