Anna Kendrick Tells ALL: Netflix Show, Surviving Abuse & True Crime Obsession | Forensic Files

[Music] crime junkie hi crime junkies I'm Ashley flowers and if you're watching this
you'll notice I'm not in my normal place I'm in a very special place with a very
special guest most of you will recognize her from her work she's multi-talented in many ways from being an Oscar and
Tony nominated actress to an author singer songwriter and you are now starring in Netflix's woman of the hour
and it is your directorial debut Anna Kendrick you guys and for my daughter who was giving me a guilt trip before I
left she would think I was so cool that I was meeting poppy oh oh my God I love that wait how old how old is she oh
she's two and a half so oh okay so this is a tricky age because um when parents are like oh my gosh look it's Poppy and
they introduce a child to me it's like floods of Tears immediately because I don't have pink skin and pink hair and
it's it's awful they're like that's not poppy I'm just going to let her listen she's going to be thrilled great great
great great so I'm so excited first of all women of the hour was incredible I got a little sneak peek I truly loved it
start to finish well I feel like a loser fan girl in in my merch right now but it's such cute merch like I get a lot of
merch and it's usually like oh you ruined a perfectly good shirt this is so good this is so cool anyway sorry go
ahead thank you well so yeah speaking of being a crime junkie uh like how did you
get to this place because this is a little bit of a departure you've done some like serious stuff but I mean like
this is like serious in like a serious way no I was like I I don't even think I've ever been in a movie that was this
genre or this kind of uh in of a movie the Thriller stuff that you've done has still been kind of light-hearted yeah
yeah and I am very aware that um most people know me from uh one of a couple of like light-hearted musical franchises
so um yeah poppy or Pitch Perfect or whatever um and so yeah I I I even got some not push back but uh questioning
the decision like I I sent um a filmmaker friend the script and I was like do you think this is crazy for me
to do um I was mostly thinking about hey here's the story here's the very limited
budget and time frame that we have and I would be jumping on to this movie I'd be
pitching myself to direct this movie and it's starts in 6 weeks so um do you think that's just a terrible idea and
I'm just setting myself up for failure and um you know he he was like um well I it's a lot but mostly he was like I
confess I've been hoping you would direct something for a long time and I'm surprised that it's this really and he
was like I think you know once I got it further into the script I could see a lot of theme around moving through the
world as a woman and trying to stay safe that makes sense to me but you know he was really kind of referencing the
opening scene of the movie which was interesting because I love that scene and I fought for that scene which I
heard which I I'm so glad that you did because like I I can see why many people would want to remove it but I think it
takes away from what the story is yeah yeah and and and don't get me wrong I Ood why he was going this because again
it's it's not really what I'm known for and it's not the kinds of film sets that
I've been on a lot but you know I think that even my relationship to True Crime really changed um a a few years ago um
cuz I went through something really um shocking and traumatic for me um and I I really couldn't figure out what had
happened and you know I don't know if you relate to this but I'm sure many listeners will that you really beat
yourself up and go like how did I not see like how did I not know that that was coming how did I not get myself out
of that situation sooner you know all the ways that we really put all that shame on
ourselves and I told him I was like I know that this isn't necessarily in my professional wheel house but this
unfortunately feels like familiar territory to me and that question of whose shame is
this how much of your shame do I have to absorb here before I'm In Harm's Way I think that question hangs over a lot of
Our Lives more often than we realize and that felt Central to the kind of emotional center of the story um and
I've always been kind of I don't know I guess maybe I would consider myself to have been a more
casual consumer of True Crime um and then when you know some things went down in in a long-term relationship that I
was in um I really I really got kind of obsessed and uh and I think that there's
a way in which we can kind of sublimate our own stuff um by feeling like if I can just get to the bottom of why that
guy or that person did that thing maybe I could uncover some Universal human truth and I could make sure that I never
found myself in a situation like that again and I don't know how true that is but it really changed how I consumed
True Crime um but uh at any rate you know the subject matter of the movie is like really gripping but I I also hoped
to be bringing in some of that emotional DNA to the entire movie which you did a
great job of you said it's outside of your whale house but girl it is not outside of your whale house you did
incredible oh that's so awesome and I feel like I just like my crime junkie brain just like jumped right in but do
you actually for those who don't know what women of the hours course gosh do you want to tell them like what the
story is based on yes so um it's funny on other Outlets I'm sort of more vague but I guess I don't I don't have like
obviously we're talking abouta like welcome to the show yeah so um so it is based on the story of uh Rodney alala um
who was a serial killer in the 1970s and in the middle of you know really being able to operate without consequence for
over a decade unbelievable he went on the show The Dating Game and won the dating game and um so that piece of you
know the story that dating game piece is really used you know as a kind of framing device for the movie because it
it's really evocative of that question of like who can you trust and who's really behind the curtain you know how
much can you really know about a person before you know that you're safe we have
a crime junky life rule that you never know anyone ever like truly girl tell me about it um and yeah I mean I sort of
describe it as the story of Rodney alala but it is really meant to be the story of the impact that he had on the people
that were unfortunate enough to come across him yeah um so the aim was always to really Center the women St the
women's stories yeah and I think you did a really amazing job of that and you had
this um this scene like I was like crawling out of my skin when you the scene where you're like actually on the
date with him and you're walking to the car and it's the whole number scene where he's like tell me your number
again like why can't you remember and I was I was just my husband like didn't quite get why I was freaking out so much
that's so interesting oh he and I talk about this all the time and the way you were talking about earlier I'm like you
Eric you he's this like six foot6 dude and I'm like you move in the world a way that like I cannot yeah and you that you
cannot I appreciate that you empathize with being a woman but you can't you have no idea what it feels like that
when I'm going on a walk I'm not enjoying the walk because I'm constantly like looking here and looking there and
that car passed me twice and here's the license flate number like it's just completely different but the the the way
that I thought you did so well in capturing just the uncomfortable position I think nearly every woman has
probably been in at some point where it's like I don't feel safe I don't feel good like why can't but you don't also
don't feel comfortable saying that yes and you're not totally sure if you're making it up like oh maybe I'm just
being paranoid and the way that we kind of second guess ourselves and and try to
just sort of like be pleasing and I'll just get myself out of this situation um God that's so interesting because there
are several moments in the movie that while we were shooting one of the men on set would sort of say like hey should we
do another take of that like I I I don't know that it's super clear like what's happening in this scene and I would sort
of be like well women are going to know what's happening in this scene um and I think most and I think most men will you
know follow what's happening in the movie but yeah there's like 20% of men who don't follow what's happening that's
fine with me you know I would much rather it probably isn't for them like don't be the creepy man that's your own
lesson and it feels like there's this kind of secret language of women and part of that is it's a [ __ ] secret
yeah so wait am I allowed to curse oh yeah for sure it's it's serious right like [ __ ] I don't know um so you know
sometimes that means that um maybe it won't be a thousand per clear to some men like what's what what the
Dynamics are at play but I I think it's very very clear to women but I think that's like the beautiful part about you
having stepped in the role as director is H having a woman be the L like the lens through the story and telling it
from your perspective and being able to like hone in on those like nuances that I don't know that someone else would
have captured and I just thought you did it in like such a truly incredible way my gosh that's so ni the nicest thing
how did uh so how did you decide that you wanted to direct something because this is your first I me you came out
with a banger but um I I mean I always feel a little embarrassed saying this but I think I had told myself I mean
certainly I told everyone around me and I had told myself I just wasn't interested in directing um because I
think that it's vulnerable to want something and you know you might not get it or you might get it and you might
fail and so I just was constantly telling myself like oh I don't know God directors are crazy I'm not doing that
um and I really found myself um getting kind of obsessed with this script um and
maybe getting a little controlling you know cuz I was attached as a as an actor for about two years and I was just sort
of like okay let me know when the movie goes years yeah yeah oh God that's so common yeah like you just sort of like
attach yourself to things and you're like well let me know if it comes together um and and then the other thing
that happens is occasionally something that's been moving really really slow for a long time will out of nowhere very
quickly be coming together at lightning speed and um basically going okay well we got the money together and we have a
window that we could shoot it in and if we don't if we miss that window we might
it might fall apart again and um at that point we didn't have a director and so we kind of scrambled and we were trying
to find someone and we certainly weren't looking at first-time directors it was like well we have3 dollar and a roll of
duct tape and um it needs to happen right now so we were really Mo mostly trying to find like pretty experienced
people and I guess I oh God I feel weird saying this but I think that I also started to feel like wait I'm sorry I've
been thinking about this movie for two years and someone's G come on and like tell me what the movie is for and I'm
going to be like you just got here um and you know there were also certain details from the true story that felt
really important to me and I had always thought like well if it were my movie this is how I would do it but it's not
my movie that's okay and you know very quickly I got to do like a new draft with the the screenwriter and make some
changes and um I just uh was a hard conversation being like I want it oh it was terrifying oh my God I I mean I
think like even in in the pitch that I did I kept saying like if you guys don't think I'm the right person that's so
fine it's totally fine um I just want to do what's best for the movie uh it's it's okay like if you don't think I'm
ready I that please tell me what people think a girl boss is is like just coming
in and like owning the room and what being a girl boss is is really that is just being like listen I'm like listen
here's the deal here's like what I bring to the table here well I was I was even
going like here's what I think I bring to the table here are the areas of deficit like that I have like I want to
be honest like like why project false confidence because then I was like well also if you hire me it means like you
have to support me cuz I was honest you know I love it yeah so how did how did the story find you originally well okay
so uh it originally found me because it was the script just got sent to me and and I had that moment that maybe a lot
of the listeners have where you go oh right this guy he was uh yeah he was a serial killer and he went on The Dating
Game and that's like mostly what you remember what you know about it and you know obviously that is a fascinating
True Crime Story So I was interested from the get-go and then when I read the screenplay it was just it was it was
really beautiful I know that's a feels like a strange thing to say but there was so much Beauty in the
world of these women and you really fell in love with them in you know a very limited window really you know I mean
some of the actresses in the film they have a very limited window of screen time to make you fall in love with them
and be absolutely invested in what is going to happen to them and it I'm just blown away by the writing and by um the
actresses in the film um cuz you are so desperate for each one of them to come out of it on the other side
and you know the movie is like chilling but it's it's heartbreaking too I there's um one scene in particular when
you talk about them having such a short time to make an impact where this girl's
like unpacking her new apartment and I remember like just feeling so much like God I remember being like you know my
very first place and you're in a new city and you feel like such a like a big kid with your whole life in front of you
and I remember that just being like the emotion as I was watching that and being
like Oh God so even in like you just get like a brief moment with each of those women and and it was just done so well
yeah and you know I I'm sure that um the listeners are very very into as they should be like the details and accuracy
factual accuracy and there are so many details in the movie that are lifted straight from the the true story but you
know just the way you're talking even about that scene with the apartment you know um it just reminds me that part of
the objective was also to give each woman that we meet like quite a different personality and quite a
different kind of entry point to how they meet this man how they interact with this man because again like
emotionally it felt important to kind of establish it wouldn't matter what your personality is and how you meet a person
or how careful you are or how sweet you are or how tough you try to seem like none of that guarantees your protection
from someone if they're determined to harm you yeah um and even though there I think there are really really
interesting things in the movie around like the ways that some of these women manage to
survive it also feels like an exercise in at least putting the shame where it belongs which is in the hands of a
person who's harmful um and never I remember actually at one point oh my God I forgot about this um well this is
maybe a little spoilery but um but also already know the story um that uh you know I play the The Bachelorette
who's uh on The Dating Game and um and so uh I survive and I remember at one point one of The Producers asking me if
my character should have like some kind of really clever plan that got her out of danger and I was like you know in
most movies I would say sure blind luck isn't a great way for your heroine to kind of you know survive a situation but
it would also feel like a disservice to all the really brilliant women who didn't survive you know sometimes it is
just blind luck well and and and the truth of it is he did go for so long and he was successful at taking the lives of
so many different women that to say oh like this person to your oh she just needed to outsmart him like it's it's
the one person in the parking lot who just like scares him away and you're like and you just thank your lucky stars
like why me and and not the other person completely completely wild so you said that your true crime
ation you had been into it before but always like like for me I always say like crime junkies are born not made
like I since I was little like did when did it start for you like gosh yeah I guess I can't really remember a time
that it wasn't there uh I mean you know this isn't really true crime per se but I remember sitting in like the dentist's
office and they would have those books about like um like dis like natural disasters with the Titanic or something
like there is just something about um the the Grim and the maob that is that is always kind of called to me um and so
yeah that's always sort of been there lurking and then it you know ended up being something else for me you um wrote
in your uh your book about you being in New York for the first time which like when you were like a kid and I'm like
you were like Towing the line you were about to be your own True Crime Story like running around the city of New York
like how you were like what 10 I know I know I know I know I know I know I know like my yeah my parents cuz I I I was a
stubborn little child and I was like I want to be an actress and I want to audition for Broadway shows and you know
they worked full-time jobs and so they they drove me to New York for a couple auditions and then were're like girl if
you really want to do this we like we this is you need to figure it out so my brother and I he was like 2 years older
than me um he uh he and I would go down on like a Greyhound bus and like just audition for stuff in in New York City
um which yeah I I I don't know there is a like a an overconfidence and a trust there that I think also comes from
growing up in a place where I grew up in Maine and you know like no one locked their doors at night when I moved to LA
God I really am like a walking True Crime this is awful no when I moved to LA my roommates were constantly having
to remind me to lock the door I just wouldn't lock the door just W yeah just wide open cuz also in Maine if you lock
your car door at night it'll freeze over so like we don't lock anything girl I mean I lived in like in Indiana
and it's not wild out there but like I know that's crazy we had ice that's really crazy it's C like but I think
about that all the time when you like to go back to what we were just talking about like I remember I went to Vegas
when I was like 22 and like me and my roommate just like we like didn't want to pay for a c so we
like caught a ride with a guy who had a hook for a hand and I'm like oh my God you're not just True Crime you're like a
creepy ghost story that's like a classic campfire ghost story I don't know but yeah I'm like walking down alleys and
it's like the stuff that it truly is luck like sometimes it is truly just luck that saves you it's a miracle we're
both here today no completely that's absolutely right so how did you were there certain things that you pulled
from your own life like situations you've been in where you felt like that or like how did you even begin to
prepare for this character yeah so I mean there are things in the movie that are like there's a couple little Easter
eggs but uh you know for example my character there's that scene in the opening when we first meet my character
where I'm having like a very bad audition and um the casting directors are yeah they're and they were so funny
they were so wonderful on the day and while we were shooting it I was like hey will you guys do this like I we just say
these couple lines with me I'm probably going to cut it but I don't know it might be interesting um where they ask
me if I'm willing to do nudity and then this guy makes a very like very specific
and weird remark about my body and that happened to me verbatim when I was 19 no
yes verbatim in an audition yeah crazy absolutely crazy so there's also a degree which I I want the version on
Netflix where like it pops up be like actually happened yeah yeah yeah oh my God yeah
um no but like there's also a degree to which I really had fun making a a a period piece and like you know playing
up the kind of 70s of it all but also like some of this stuff happened not that long ago you know like some of the
little like juicy little tidbits where you think well no one would say that now and I know you know n 19 was not recent
for me but um yeah it was not like relegated to the 19s like it was five minutes
ago holy crap yeah there's a there's also like this is dumb but there's a sign uh that's on the door when I'm
about to go out on stage that says like check your lipstick and that like that's
backstage it at talk shows that stuff of like last chance to check your makeup that's like written under the mirror
that's right before you go out into like live TV so yeah just like a bunch of little Easter eggs like that I how do
people know that though like if they don't know the biz like this is all The Insider baseball I want to know well I
guess like you know you mostly get away with it by not saying it but now I'm saying it on a big podcast so I'm
obsessed what are you going to do what are you going to do I'm obsessed stay mad so how do you when you think about
being in something like this for was it really six weeks like Yeah well yeah I mean I was like thinking about the
character for 2 years but then like was oh God I'm responsible for all of it for
like 6 weeks and then um and then you have about 6 weeks of like uh hard prep um so you're like finding the locations
and um and actually like really mapping out the movie and then we filmed for 24 days which is not enough time oh my God
you did that whole thing in 24 days yeah yeah yes that's intense it was a lot it
was a lot it makes me hot just thinking about like how much we were running around is that normal no no my God no um
I mean it's normal for like teeny movies that take place in one location but uh yeah it it was a lot but I also I think
I am like maybe a little bit of an adrenaline junkie because I would I was like oh my favorite animal is me when
I'm when the schedule is slightly behind where like the way that like I get a weird Rush of dopamine where I'm like
we're going to we're going to finish this day we're going to get every shot that we need on this day God damn it I'm
so it's like very exciting how did you think about coming off that and like but and more specifically like even out of
the space like cuz you're kind of living in like a dark world for a while yeah do
you take a break from it do you have like a true crime detox or you are you ready to like jump back into the next
True Crime project God I I think that you know like when I would go home for the day I would probably just put
something like Mindless on uh on on YouTube like something like upbeat or something what's your mindless what is
your guilty pleasure right now this this is very silly but I think that at the time that um we were filming the movie I
Didn't Know of the try guys but when we were filming the movie The try guys had like a infidelity Scandal thing they're
like YouTubers I was like what's the try guys I that's that was my point and so I
was like wait what is this and I like watched a couple videos and I was like I don't get it but then
but then I started watching it and it was like okay this is fine this is just like guys being silly and I don't know
one of them like cheated on their wife so [ __ ] that guy but you know I don't know whatever so I would just like put
that on his background noise to fall asleep too the try guys are putting you to sleep at night I know I know it's
like the most random Rabbit Hole to just be like fine this cuz I I like can't even think about like finding like oh
what's my nighttime you know Comfort show I was like this this is it I don't have I know a lot of people they say it
is like a com thing to watch the same thing over and over again it drives me not I can't I can't watch the same thing
over again not even like the office you don't have like a show like that that you're like yeah yeah yeah I'll just
throw it on no I think I'm broken I don't I don't know like everyone's like yeah I've just got my I don't wait do
you watch any movies like more than once cuz Rebel Wilson has this thing she has
never seen a movie more than once never not once and she says her favorite movie
is a leue of their own and she has seen it twice in her life that's her favorite
movie that's crazy I think I've seen Maybe some movies well my like daughter's movies aside I've seen movies
I like like tops two times I cannot rewat like I know it's going to there's no someone needs to study your brain and
Rebel Wilson's brain and and figure out what's happening there cuz honestly I kind of wish I was more like that like I
wish I was more like yeah I'd want to watch something new something new and then there's just like a laziness thing
where you're like oh whatever I'll just I've heard it's like a comfort thing like you know what to expect like in a
world where everything crazy and you got ziling things coming at you like the comfort of like knowing exactly what's
coming next I guess that's probably it I I don't know for me it might just be down the-middle laziness cuz I'm like I
I just can't think of anything else to watch so I'll just rewatch 30 Rock fine oh I love 30 Ro I know it's so
good okay that's fair I uh my I'm like very into I always said I was not a reality TV person but I've like doing
the Love is Blind thing right now it's so good are you watching this season okay I just started it oh my God I'm
like I think I'm I I'm till I got to like the first reveal the like Taylor and what's his face I don't know
whatever I can't even look at your facial expression CU it's going to get literally like I was texting Kate
nonstop I was like I felt I was like live tweeting Love is Blind but only to her totally you got to have that friend
though to be like I'm going to watch this thing and you have to watch this thing so that we can text about it oh I
love it so do you think you'll do another True Crime um I would I mean I would be really really open to it I I
think that um it's really fertile ground um psychologically um so I don't know well as I'm saying it
I'm also like I've been known as like musical Sally for the last decade so wouldn't be it certainly wouldn't be the
worst thing in the world for me to be like oh no oh no I'm pigeon hold as like the girl that would be fine with me cuz
I don't I think at this point you can't be pigeon hole I think this whole thing you like proved that you can do whatever
you want which is like the best place to be I wouldn't mind I mean I um I really
found it rewarding to to dig in um to the case you know I was really really fortunate to have um Matt Murphy who was
the prosecutor in Rodney's um 2010 retrial um as a resource he was so so generous like he
was not we did not have the money to pay him so he was not getting paid um but he
really made himself available and and not just as a kind of factual resource which he often was but there were times
where just speaking to him was so emotionally grounding because again he's someone who really obviously prioritizes
victims first and you know even just speaking to him would kind of like like sometimes like really reenter me uh on
what was important about telling the story and um and Matt introduced me to detective well now the honorable Craig
Robison but at the time detective Craig Robison who um I mean was the guy who cared enough about what was happening to
actually take it seriously cuz as I'm sure you know um as I know you know uh really the story of Rodney alala is a
story of law enforcement negligence and incompetence and it makes my body temperature go up every time I even
think about it like it it like really really makes me so upset um and I think even speaking to
Craig Robison and Matt Murphy it was kind of Illuminating for me because I mean you think about okay a
serial killer who's been operating for over a decade this young detective comes on the scene and kind of saves the day
and the prosecutor that keeps him behind bars and connects all the dots and you know realizes that he's a Serial
murderer it's kind of like a readymade Hollywood Story but we don't really get into that
in the movie because it would also feel really emotionally dishonest because when I walk away from you know
months of research about this case the feeling that I'm left with is heartbreak and rage really rage um so they got to
be the heroes they were the heroes they were and that matters but because so many people failed before them that's
right and they're just as angry about that as anybody and that's where like I'll always say I mean there's the
really good ones can recognize and acknowledge when there are bad ones and I I even had a moment where I was like
oh no like Matt has really been so so helpful to me and I am not sure that he knows that like the movie is not pro law
enforcement and I was like oh my God oh my God is that going to like bother him or hurt his feelings or is he going to
be angry and then I mean he just put out a a book and actually one of the chapters is about Rodney and um yeah and
he's actually going off more about law enforcement than I am in the movie so yeah we can appreciate that for sure I
love it and you said Matt didn't make any money but like I was surprised to learn you didn't make any money on this
either oh yeah yeah um I mean you know I think that you know we're we're both sort of steeped in some really valid
ethical questions around True Crime and um and I it believe me this was never um
a money-making Venture for me um cuz you know all the resources went to actually
just making the movie but it wasn't until um the uh Toronto Film Festival is where the the movie premiered and it's
this big um film festival for uh someone to buy movies and that is where you know
eventually Netflix bought the movie um but it wasn't until like the week before Tiff that I thought oh oh the movie's
going to make money like I I was just so I like let me know when the movie happens to
like oh God I'm responsible for this and then I was just making the movie making
the movie and we just barely made the deadline to get into Tiff and then it was like oh oh there's like money going
to be exchanging hands and yeah like I sort of asked myself the question of like do you feel gross about this and I
did and so uh yeah so I'm not making money off of the the movie the the money is going to or has gone to um rain and
to the National Center for victims of violent crime which was uh a charity that Matt Murphy um recommended to me um
we've done work with both of them they're like both incredible organizations I was going to ask you
like how you got connected with them but that's perfect yeah yeah um so yeah I think that they uh it's still a
complicated area but that yeah that felt like certainly like the least to that I
should do well I I like I it's a huge it's a huge thing to do and it's like it's a it's a weird place to navigate
and like I mean as someone who's like still trying to figure it out I think that I think these stories have to be
told and I think that there's probably a better way than it's been done in the past right and it's like how how do we
how do we do right by the people who are in them how do we it's a there's a lot of a of heavy
questions um that I don't know it's not black and white ethics is never black and white it's a little gray and it's
yeah and you know again uh like when I've shown the movie to friends there are immediately like a
handful of questions that they want to know like wait wait wait did that really happen did that really happen like you
know one of the ones that comes up a lot is like wait was he really working at the Los Angeles Times in like 1977 and
you're like yep with his real name with his real name like he' been in jail for horrible crimes already at that point
and they you know constantly let him out really based on Vibes by the way um cuz
boards were just like yeah I don't know he seems chill I think he's reformed unbelievable and then yeah he like you
know he changed his name in New York for a while but then um he like got a job at
the Los Angeles Times under his real name so yeah so the point being there's um there's certain things that are like
oh my god did that actually happened and then yeah there's a degree to which I you know the names of uh a lot of the
sort of players in the in the movie are changed as kind of a nod to the idea that like I couldn't possibly capture
the the essence of a real person if I had 100 years let alone a 90-minute movie and you know as always the idea
was mostly to be trying to reach a kind of larger emotional truth about the danger that we walk around with and all
the ways we try to stay safe and there are things in the movie that frankly feel like they could save a life you
know I I I was watching that other Netflix show um worst X ever and I was literally like oh my God no do what
Moone KO did like please please and she she survived she she's okay the lady I was yelling at the TV as though I could
like crawl through the screen and back through time to oh my God it's just G it's so stressful um but I I think there
are like these tidbits that we get from these stories that remain in our subconscious and um and can Aid us in
our most challenging moments I think it's you know you talked about earlier trying to like understand and can I you
know can I gather all these tools to protect myself and I I've always viewed it as I think I read it in like Tina fa
book she was talking about if I can be so hypervigilant like surely statistically just won't happen to me
like if I'm always on the way and I think that's a little bit of like the way that I have viewed it the way I know
a lot of our listeners view it is these stories often happen to us and so if we can you know and it's not it's not the
shame and it's not them but it's like unfortunately I live in this world where I have to you know hold the keys a
certain way and check in my backseat and look here and do all the things and if I
can pick up all the tips and tricks maybe I'm like this much like less likely to have that happen I'll just
I'll take that 2% even if it's only % cuz yeah absolutely no um the hypervigilant thing is fascinating
because uh again I I think the case that really um captured me when I was coming
out of this really abusive situation was the Chris Watts case um don't get me started on family annihilators I oh my
God I'm about to like I it's like my life dream to like just fund a study at some University because I cannot
wrap my head and I I feel like not nearly enough has been done to understand like how someone goes and
it's not zero to 60 it's not but it feels like it I mean uh yeah unfortunately I could sit here and talk
about Chris Boss all day but we'll just very briefly like the more that I try every transcript I read every recording
every text message that he ever sent anybody that's ever been made available to the public I just it's frustrating be
I mean obviously it's more than frustrating it's enraging but did you get really sucked into that one I I it
became it became crazy I forgot that I actually like forgot that I went from being kind of a casual True Crime person
to like obsessed and I was reading an old journal and I mean old it it this was again right after I left my abusive
relationship it it like coincided with when I learned about the Chris Watts case and I was even aware at the time
cuz I wrote it down like oh I I I think I'm sublimating My Own trauma and just trying to figure out what happened in
Chris watt's mind so that I can understand what the [ __ ] happened here W because how did you go from the most
loving the most wonderful and to so abusive making me feel crazy all these things overnight like what happened and
one of the endless frustrating things about the Chris Watts case is I I I don't think he would be able to give you
Insight if you put him in therapy for the next 50 years like I I just he is so asleep to himself and and and his family
suffer the consequences of that yeah I I think there are certain people who just will put themselves
above everyone but here's the rub in my opinion yeah I think that a guy like Chris Watts and a guy like my ex I think
they genuinely experience themselves to be the victims like I don't think that they're like ah screw it I'm going to
kill my family I don't care I think that they're in such a state of like this kind of toddler esque Terror that
they're just like no I just I'm in a bad situation and I don't want to feel bad this feels so bad that I'm allowed to do
whatever I have to do because this feeling is so bad and I'm such a victim here and the idea of like being caught
in an affair makes you feel so bad you annihilate your family like I oh my god do you think it's the idea of
being caught or that they're in the way of what he thinks is happiness I know that there's different the believe I
know there's different theories about I believe you've been down the I I don't know my theory is that it was less like
no you're standing in the way of what I want and so I'm going to wipe you off the face of the Earth it was more like I
need to be seen as a good guy and a guy who leaves his family is not a good guy but a guy who whose family disappears is
still a good guy and I can't be the guy that had an affair on my pregnant wife that is so intolerable to me that again
everything that was his his shame around having an affair which by the way that is an [ __ ] move but like so what dude
like so so so white so shannan's friends think you're a dick so what like she would have gone on to live a beautiful
life it's oh my God and it's all just like oh I don't want to deal with the shame of people knowing that I'm not a
good guy so I'm enacting that shame on my family is it do you think it's a little bit of when you care more about
what the world thinks of you than what you think of yourself because I mean because I can't imagine like I can't
imagine having to live with that even if everyone thought I was amazing I couldn't live with myself but he would
rather live with live with the lie I mean I I I think it's just like well I did I think from somebody like that from
many people who've committed terrible crimes I think it's possible that their perspective
is I would have been such a victim and almost like I did what I had to do to quote survive MH um
but to them someone thinking that you're kind of a dick who cheated on his wife is akin to
Annihilation and I mean I think that sort of plays out in the movie like Rodney was diagnosed with a number
of kind of contradictory disorders over the years by different doctors um again I can't know him and I'm not really
[ __ ] interested but I don't know gun to my head I'd say just psychopathy and sexual sat ISM and that's really just an
accident right and statistically we're not that likely to meet an honest to God psychopath we are incredibly likely to
meet people who are emotionally incapable of dealing with their own pain and their own shame and having them
enacted on us and there's some stuff in the movie that feels more like that and maybe that's not a perfectly accurate
representation of his psychology again there's part of me that's like I couldn't care less whatever dude you're
pathetic you're routing in Hell fine um but that moment of going oh you feel like a victim right now and crying
exactly stop it I feel very scared and so I know that I need to absorb all this shame for you so that I can actually
survive the situation and I think that that's a situation that know really well and probably know it on the dayto day in
much much smaller ways where it's just like you could ruin my day you could ruin my month like you know there's a
whole storyline with my character and her neighbor and you know he kind of pressures me into sex and it sucks and
it's a really weird piece of the story and yes of course for a women there is that question of like are you going to
physically harm me but there's also the question of like are you going to psychologically torture me every time I
step out my front door cuz you're my neighbor and like I don't know maybe it's easier for me to just go okay I
guess we'll have sex and neither version is good it's all awful but like these are the choices that we're fa yeah
what's the one you can live with and live with on a daily basis and if I stand up in a meeting and say that I
think Brian's idea isn't that great what are the consequences going to be for me
around the office and like making those Bargains every day is is also part of the fabric of the
movie how did I don't know and whatever you are are not comfortable talking about how did you get out of your
relationship because I think that's such like a it always is I like I think about
the takeaways of the movie but I think you're somebody that people would look at and be like she's [ __ ] Anna
Kendrick like but you got out of a situation and what did it take for you H I wish I had a simple answer like I know
I think that um those stories are always like really messy and complicated and um
yeah there were kind of steps along the way um but certainly there was a there was a day that we were having a
conversation and you know it felt like I was always just trying to kind of you know while walking on eggshells trying
to sort of go like do you not see what you're doing you know like I just thought like surely
he's reason surely he can be reasonable and and he can see what's happening you know which wasn't going to happen but
you know I was obviously holding on to some hope for a while but there was a day that I
really I almost did a kind of version of the end sequence of the movie where I just stopped pushing back and and it was
almost like I went into and I know that you've been there that everyone listening has been there where
it's like you almost go okay at this point I think I just need to go into like information gathering mode I'm
actually not going to push back at all I'm just going to kind of agree with everything he's saying with his whole
worldview with all of it just so that he'll keep talking and I can almost like get myself the
information that I'm subconsciously avoiding seeing um and like just listening to him sort of
describe where his like worldview was coming from or like his um mindset was like oh no like
it was it was just kind of so much more Illuminating than any you know argument that we'd had um because it really was
like okay I'm creating a really really safe space for you and you're talking crazy friend so
um yeah that's when I like we went into couples therapy the next session and I was like I think we need to cut contact
for a while and a while was many months but um but you know then it you know was
messy it's complicated whatever and then yeah it was done and I put his stuff in
storage and and that was that I would have liked to burn it down with you you know what's funny there are so
many times where I'm like I should have but then I'm like that would have been a
gift to him oh yeah he would have eat I don't even know what we're talking about he woulding the victim oh baby he
would have been well I love it and I I I'm thank you for ending on that story because I
do I I think it's so important when talking about the stories talking about the shame all of it like it feels I
think people are waiting for like these big moments or like the actual like physical abuse or all these big things
when it's like it's in their daily life and it and it if relationships aren't making you better and making you happy
like that's abuse in and of itself um so thank you I just think that was really beautiful and I like haven't paid
attention to my notes I think we're out of time um I'm on your schedule so I don't
know do you uh I think you're the one on like this this giant press T amazing movie that's coming out do you want to
tell everyone where they can watch it when they can watch it yes um so uh it's on Netflix starting October 18th so I I
think that's probably already happening um depending on when this cares um and um yeah uh it's woman of the hour and
it's on your it's on your Netflix right now you guys run don't walk it is truly amazing start to finish you guys are
going to love and if you make it through the first five minutes you've made it through the worst of it I'll say uh if
you these are crime junkies they're like no disclaimer needed you guys this is made for you you're going to love it
enjoy it thank you so much this was so fantastic thank you for my merch oh you're so welcome F merch all right well
thanks again to SiriusXM for letting is hang out in their Studio I feel like a real grown-up big kid podcaster now and
don't forget to follow the show add it to your library you can also follow crime junkie and we're going to have
brand new episodes the last Friday of every month of cjf but if you can't wait until then you can hear crime junkie
radio on the SiriusXM app for your 247 True Crime fix you can follow me Ashley flowers on Instagram and Ashley flowers
crime junkie on Tik Tok and make sure you also follow crime junkie at crime junkie podcast I I'll see you next month
[Music]

Ashley Flowers interviews Anna Kendrick about her new film on Netflix, Woman of the Hour for this episode of Crime Junkie AF. Plus, learn how Anna got into true crime and how this film became her first directorial debut.

Watch Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut in Woman of the Hour on Netflix!

Please visit RAINN and The National Center for Victims of Crime for more information on their incredible resources: https://rainn.org/ https://victimsofcrime.org/

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse of any kind, you are not alone. You can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline (U.S.) at 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788. You can also visit their website.

Listen to SERIAL KILLER: Rodney Alcala on the Crime Junkie website or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Source materials for this episode cannot be listed here due to character limitations. For a full list of sources, please visit https://crimejunkieaf.com/

Chapters 00:00 - 1:00 - Introducing Anna Kendrick 1:01 - 6:16 - Choosing a True Crime Film 6:17 - 7:45 - What is Woman of the Hour About? 7:46 - 10:30 - Capturing the Female Experience on Screen 10:31 - 13:47 - Becoming the Director 13:48 - 15:40 - How the Rodney Alcala Story Found Anna 15:41 - 18:23 - Giving the Victims a Personality & Voice 18:24 - 21:22 - How Anna Kendrick Became a Crime Junkie 21:23 - 23:43 - Anna's Real-Life Inspiration in Woman of the Hour 23:44 - 25:00 - 24-Day Filming Schedule 25:01 - 28:25 - True Crime Detox 28:26 - 32:25 - Future True Crime Projects 32:26 - 35:05 - Anna's Donations to RAINN and The National Center for Victims of Crime 35:06 -36:57 - Details Included in Woman of the Hour 36:58 - 38:00 - Gathering Tools to Protect Ourselves 38:01 - 43:04 - The Chris Watts Case 43:05 - 45:30 - Shame & Danger in Woman of the Hour 45:31 - 49:03 - Anna Kendrick Discusses Her Past Relationship 49:04 - 50:29 - Outro

Crime Junkie AF is hosted by Ashley Flowers. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ASHLEYFLOWERS/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ash_flowers TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ashleyflowerscrimejunkie Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleyflowers.af/

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On Crime Junkie Radio, you’ll hear episodes from not only Crime Junkie, but from some of audiochuck's other chart-topping titles like The Deck. But the best part is… it will also feature Ashley's brand-new show, Crime Junkie AF, where she’ll explore cases that are unfolding right now, and even feature special guests.

Crime Junkie AF offers listeners a one-of-a-kind experience to explore cases that are unfolding right now, alongside the Queen of True Crime. Ashley will not only keep listeners on the pulse of what's currently happening in true crime, but she'll also invite special guests to sit down and weigh in on the headlines she can’t stop thinking about. Get ready, because Crime Junkie AF is about to become your newest obsession!

Ashley Flowers is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of audiochuck, an Indiana-based, award-winning, independent media company with 10+ chart-topping podcasts and over 2 billion listener downloads. Best known for her inaugural podcast Crime Junkie, named Apple Podcasts’ #1 show of 2022 and 2023, Flowers also hosts and executive produces The Deck and The Deck Investigates and Crime Junkie AF. In 2022 she authored her first novel, All Good People Here, which became an instant #1 New York Times Bestseller. She is committed to giving back and is the founder of nonprofit Season of Justice, which is dedicated to solving cold cases.

Brief Summary

Anna Kendrick discusses her directorial debut, "Woman of the Hour," exploring themes of women's safety and true crime's emotional impact.

Key points

Anna Kendrick's Directorial Debut. Anna Kendrick discusses her transition from actress to director in 'Woman of the Hour'.
The Impact of True Crime. Kendrick reflects on her relationship with true crime after a traumatic experience.
The Story Behind 'Woman of the Hour'. Kendrick shares the chilling true story of Rodney Alala, a serial killer.
The Audition Experience. A funny and relatable moment about a bad audition experience that mirrors real life.
Filming Intensity. The challenge of filming a movie in just 24 days is discussed, revealing the pressure involved.
True Crime Ethics. A deep dive into the ethical questions surrounding true crime storytelling and its impact.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I don't have pink skin and pink hair and it's awful.

Anna Kendrick discussing her daughter's reaction to meeting her.

0:53WatchOct 25, 2024

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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