TIFF 2023 reviews: ‘Woman of the Hour’ and ‘Shayda’

Actor-turned-director Anna Kendrick and first-time director Noora Niasari screened their new movies at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival

Anna Kendrick, best known as an actress in the Pitch Perfect franchise and A Simple Favor, takes the director's chair for the first time with her thriller Woman of the Hour. Meanwhile, first-time director Noora Niasari adapts her childhood in the drama Shayda.

The Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 7th to 17th, 2023. Read all of our reviews from the festival here.

Anna Kendrick is first-time director of the hour with Woman of the Hour, a taut and effective thriller

As an actress, Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect, A Simple Favor) is known for her bubbly wry personality behind a thousand watt smile that oozes charisma. It makes the tense and terrifying opening sequences of her directorial debut Woman of the Hour all the more surprising. It has more in common with David Fincher's Zodiac than any of her onscreen appearances. However, the bizarre true story of a serial killer's appearance on 70s dating show The Dating Game is a match for her sensibilities as an actress — and apparently as a director.

Kendrick plays Cheryl Bradshaw, a failed actress in LA whose agent gets her onto an episode of The Match Game. Little does she know Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto, Don't Breathe), one of the three eligible bachelors she has to pick from, murdered five woman prior to his appearance. Oscillating between intense suspenseful scenes depicting Alcala's past crimes throughout the 70s and darkly comedic clips from the show — where Kendrick gets to flash her signature wry humor — Woman of the Hour is a tight and engrossing thriller that strikes a balance between respecting the victims and faithfully recreating what transpired.

While actors-turned-directors often take a “more is more” approach — as if they have something to prove — Kendrick has astounding control over the atmosphere, mood and pacing of the movie. She never sensationalizes any of the killings and even her directorial flourishes — a quick cut or audio dropping out — are small but effective. She allows the story to direct the style rather than the other way around. At a lean 94 minutes, Woman of the Hour is as efficient as they come but doesn't sacrifice impact. If this movie is any indication, Anna Kendrick is going to be the director of the hour.

Woman of the Hour premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. Netflix acquired the film for distribution. Release date TBA.

Sweet and engrossing Australian drama Shayda gives Zar Amir Ebrahimi another stellar acting showcase

Ever since seeing Zar Amir Ebrahimi in her Best Actress-winning performance in Holy Spider at the Cannes Film Festival I was fascinated by what she would do next — and she did disappoint. Australian drama Shayda takes the form of a familiar domestic violence drama in the vein of Sleeping with the Enemy or Enough but has the added element of an immigrant story. Ebrahimi plays the titular character, an Iranian immigrant living in a women's shelter with her daughter Mona (Selina Zahednia) in 1980s Australia.

We learn through a heartbreaking monologue where Shayda prepares to fight for custody of her daughter what drove her to finally leave her abusive husband (Osamah Sami). Ebrahimi's performance is staggering. Rather than letting the emotion out in a watershed moment, it feels like she's held it in so long it simple begins to seep out. So much of the success of Shayda falls on her performance that continually transforms as the movie progresses. While the subject could be overwhelming, first-time writer-director Noora Niasari, who based the story on her own childhood, relishes in the moments of joy rather than lingering on those of pain.

While the movie doesn't completely transform the formula of this kind of movie, the pure fact that the story is about an Iranian woman and immigrant makes it a compelling watch. Niasari explores the tension between celebrating and participating in your culture while doing something that goes against it. Shayda doesn't offer any answers or proclamations, it simply seeks to make you feel what it is like to live in that tension. In the end, Shayda is uplifting, engrossing and heartwarming.

Shayda is playing at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. Sony Pictures Classics will release the film later this year.

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Hey! I'm Karl. You can find me on Twitter here. I'm also a Tomatometer-approved critic.

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