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How ‘Woman of the Hour’ Decided Which Rodney Alcala Murders to Depict on Screen and the Level of Violence They Should Show


"Woman of the Hour" screenwriter Ian McDonald toiled over which of Rodney Alcala's real life murders to show onscreen, and how violent to make them.

Days later, it’s sitting at the top of the streaming service’s most-watched film list, which could be a testament to a compelling tale mixed with unconventional storytelling. “It was less about ‘Which victim do we want to write about in terms of the person?’ and more that how you open and close a movie says so much about the film’s intentions thematically, and has a massive dramatic impact. The truth is we have to do this little dance where we are polite and we placate, but without contradicting them.’ At that point, you just listen to people who have experiences you don’t, and try to be honest and make sure it finds its way into the document.”

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