Anna Kendrick Says Directing ‘Woman of the Hour’ Required More Vulnerability Than Releasing Her Memoir: ‘I’m Revealing Something About Myself in Every Frame’

variety.com:

Angelique Jackson Anna Kendrick and I are discussing soundbite culture. She’s winding down after a day of interviews for her directorial debut, “Woman of the Hour,” where she’s been navigating the tricky business of getting audiences hyped for the chilling true story about the time a serial killer was a bachelor on “The Dating Game.” The movie, now streaming on Netflix, is a subversive take on the true crime genre.

The story is not focused on the killer’s motives or his capture, but more of a meditation on all the secret ways women navigate the world to ensure their survival, which makes the movie tough to boil down into a few quippy quotes.

As we walk to Kendrick’s hotel suite, I crack a joke about someone asking her to sing while talking about serial killers (no offense to my fellow reporters, because four-minute junket slots are impossible) and she covers her mouth to suppress a knowing laugh.

Because, when doing press, you must sell the movie — and if anyone gets that, it’s Kendrick, whose 70 screen credits include the “Pitch Perfect,” “Trolls” and “Twilight” franchises, as well as her Academy Award-nominated turn in “Up in the Air.” Even though she’s been around the block, Kendrick was surprised by how much she was prompted to talk about herself, though she toplines the film as Sheryl, the bachelorette who unwittingly chose killer Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto) for the TV dream-date.