Anna Kendrick Says Directing and Starring in Woman of the Hour Felt Like Working ‘With a Blindfold On’

Anna Kendrick’s first time in the director’s chair came with more than the usual nerves. For her 2023 crime thriller Woman of the Hour — which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival before hitting Netflix on October 18, 2024 — Kendrick not only called the shots behind the camera but also took center stage as Sheryl Bradshaw, the real-life game show contestant who unwittingly met serial killer Rodney Alcala on The Dating Game in 1978.

The dual role, she says, often felt like working “with a blindfold on.” Speaking to People and Yahoo ahead of the film’s release, Kendrick explained that after performing in a scene, she had just enough time to dash to the monitor and review a 30-second clip from the middle of the take. With only a 24-day shooting schedule and limited resources, there was no chance to rewatch everything in full. “We had to just keep trucking,” she recalled, hoping there would be “no surprises when I get into the edit.”

Tight Timelines and High Stakes
The logistical challenges were steep: Kendrick’s attention was split between her performance and her directing responsibilities, with no room for lengthy playback or reshoots. The production’s modest budget meant the cast and crew had to move quickly, capturing each scene with precision and trusting they’d gotten it right.

But the on-set pressure was only part of the story. Kendrick admits that even before filming began, she hit a breaking point. During preproduction, a day when “everything was falling apart” left her questioning whether the project could survive. “I kept thinking about how proud my 15-year-old self would be,” she said, describing how that thought helped her push through the uncertainty.

A Vulnerable First-Time Director
Despite a career that began on Broadway at age 12 and has spanned major franchises like Pitch Perfect, Kendrick says stepping behind the camera triggered new insecurities. “I wondered if I was missing some secret director thing,” she told Yahoo, acknowledging the steep learning curve.

That vulnerability extended beyond her inexperience. In an interview with Variety, Kendrick said making Woman of the Hour revealed more of herself than even her 2016 memoir, Scrappy Little Nobody. Every frame, she explained, unintentionally reflected pieces of her own life — a fact made more intense by personal upheaval in 2022, which she has previously linked to themes of gender-based violence in the film. The road to production was also rocky: financing delays and the sudden departure of the original director just six weeks before shooting added to the sense of navigating in the dark.

Trusting the Process
Kendrick’s performance in the film is matched by her determination behind the scenes. Playing Bradshaw opposite Daniel Zovatto’s Alcala, alongside Nicolette Robinson and Tony Hale, she navigates a tense narrative that shifts between the killer’s crimes from 1971 to 1979 and Bradshaw’s life in 1978 Los Angeles.

For Kendrick, the “blindfold” wasn’t just about the inability to monitor every shot — it was also about the emotional leap of faith required to direct, act, and shepherd a true-crime story to completion. “You have to trust your instincts,” she said, “and hope you’ve captured the truth of it.”

Her debut may have been made under extraordinary pressure, but Kendrick’s ability to balance logistical constraints, personal vulnerability, and a gripping narrative suggests that Woman of the Hour is only the beginning of her work behind the camera.

If you want, I can also prepare a festival-press style version of this piece, sharper and more compact for film industry readers, highlighting TIFF reception and Kendrick’s career pivot. That would make it ideal for entertainment trades.