Anna Kendrick Names the Films That Tested Her the Most—And How They Reshaped Her as an Artist

Anna Kendrick has built her career on versatility—shifting seamlessly from musical comedies like Pitch Perfect to biting thrillers and indie dramas. But in a rare moment of candid reflection, the Oscar-nominated actress has revealed the three projects that pushed her to her emotional and professional limits, shaping not just her career but her perspective as an artist.

1. Alice, Darling (2022) — Art Imitating Life

Kendrick calls her turn as Alice in Alice, Darling “one of the most difficult tasks” of her adult life. The psychological thriller follows a woman ensnared in an emotionally abusive relationship, and for Kendrick, the role hit uncomfortably close to home. Drawing on her own experiences with emotional and psychological abuse, she found the work deeply personal—and draining.

“The material was incredibly raw for me,” she has shared, noting that portraying Alice’s gradual unraveling required not just acting skill, but an unflinching willingness to revisit her own wounds. The result is a performance praised for its quiet power, capturing the insidious, often invisible nature of coercive control.

2. A Simple Favor (2018) — Vulnerability Behind the Quirk

In Paul Feig’s stylish thriller-comedy A Simple Favor, Kendrick played Stephanie Smothers, a relentlessly chipper vlogger who becomes embroiled in the mysterious disappearance of her glamorous friend. On the surface, Stephanie is bright and bubbly—but Kendrick was tasked with uncovering the pain and loneliness beneath.

“This wasn’t just a quirky role,” she explained. “It was about letting the audience feel the cracks.” Stephanie’s awkwardness and emotional fragility forced Kendrick to tap into a more vulnerable register, peeling back the layers to reveal a woman defined as much by loss as by optimism.

3. Woman of the Hour (2024) — Stepping Behind the Camera

Kendrick’s most recent—and perhaps most transformative—challenge came not only in front of the camera but behind it. Woman of the Hour, her feature directorial debut, dramatizes the chilling true story of Cheryl Bradshaw, a contestant on a 1978 episode of The Dating Game who unknowingly went on a date with serial killer Rodney Alcala.

Playing Bradshaw herself, Kendrick was determined to approach the film’s harrowing subject matter without sensationalism. Instead, she focused on portraying the women affected with empathy and dignity. “It’s a story about coercion and manipulation,” she said, “and I wanted to honor their humanity above all.”

The dual pressures of directing and performing in such a sensitive project demanded every ounce of her emotional and creative energy, but Kendrick describes the experience as “deeply fulfilling” and a pivotal moment in her career.

An Artist Unafraid of Emotional Risk

From Alice, Darling’s harrowing intimacy to A Simple Favor’s layered vulnerability and Woman of the Hour’s sobering realism, these projects mark a throughline in Kendrick’s body of work: a willingness to confront discomfort in service of truth.

“They were all challenging in different ways,” Kendrick reflected, “but each one left me changed.”

With these performances, she has proven that her range isn’t defined solely by genre or tone—but by her courage to inhabit roles that demand both vulnerability and resilience.

If you’d like, I can also shape this into a cinema magazine-style profile with added behind-the-scenes insights from directors and co-stars to give it even more depth.