Interview: ‘Woman of the Hour’ Screenwriter Ian McDonald Chats About Seeing His Long-Brewing Script Come to Life

Woman of the Hour is now on Netflix, but the process to get there took quite a long time for writer Ian McDonald. It’s kind of nuts to think about, too, considering how great a story it is. That it ultimately came down to Anna Kendrick helping to get it across the finish line by directing as well as starring in it just speaks to how those invested in the project were really invested. I loved the film when I saw it back in 2023 at the Toronto International Film Festival. With the movie having been subsequently acquired by Netflix and just released on the platform last week, I recently spent some time on Zoom with McDonald to discuss it all. Today, that chat comes your way.

Back at TIFF last year, my review here included the following:

In making her directorial debut, Kendrick takes a script from Ian MacAllister McDonald and films the hell out of it. Jumping between time periods, slick editing, and holding on some very unsettling shots, it all suggests a veteran storyteller. She’s able to ratchet up the tension in a manner that rivals many horror filmmakers. The screenplay clearly inspired her, leading to a work that is justifiably angry at the way women are ignored. In doing so, she also manages to make a super strong genre work.

Below, you can see my conversation with McDonald. With the long road to the movie not just getting made, but then being released, I was really interested in hearing what that’s like for someone who generated the story in the first place. Our chat goes to some pretty interesting places and is very free-form, so it’s well worth listening to. Likewise, if you haven’t seen Woman of the Hour, it’s a tremendous flick and easy to catch on Netflix. Don’t miss it!

Here now is my interview with Woman of the Hour scribe Ian McDonald. Enjoy:

Woman of the Hour is currently streaming on Netflix!