Taking a serious turn away from the comedies that made her an A-list actor, Kendrick presents the main facts of a bizarre-but-true story, adapted by screenwriter Ian MacAllister McDonald, of a time in 1978 when a serial killer named Rodney Alcala made it onto the long-running “Dating Game” TV show. He’s played in the film by look-alike actor Daniel Zovatto (“Lady Bird”), who is creepily effective. As per the show’s format, Alcala was one of three eligible bachelors hidden from the date-seeking and question-posing “bachelorette,” a woman identified in the film as “Sheryl,” played by Kendrick. Alcala somehow was on the show despite being a registered sex offender. He was also a multiple rapist and murderer who would kill again, as the world would later learn about the man known as the Dating Game Killer. Kendrick shrewdly misses no opportunity to show how little regard police, security guards, television officials, “nice guy” neighbours and other supposed exemplars of civic behaviour seem to have for the safety of women. – VOX