DZ-124: Making the Despicable Compelling

Listen if you need audiences to root for characters who do terrible things

Mel and Chas continue to explore what Noir (the genre) can teach writers of all other genres. In particular:

• How to keep the audience on side of characters doing reprehensible things;
• How to control your audience understanding of those reprehensible actions; and
• Distinguishing between characters undergoing transformative arcs against discovering their true natures

In finding the common craft tools of Noir over 100 years, this Part 2 looks at two modern noirs – DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS (1995) and WOMAN OF THE HOUR (2024) – after Part 1 looked at the classic DOUBLE INDEMNITY and THE LONG GOODBYE.

Despite Chas claiming to have edited this episode it was, in fact, Chris Walker who saved the day and got this done. Thanks Chris.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

I think these films have got really strong control over the questions and that's how they get us to follow, compelling us to follow characters who are doing terrible things.

— chas

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→ Read the transcript for this episode.

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CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 – Using noir as a lens
• 00:01:56 – DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS
• 00:31:33 – WOMAN OF THE HOUR
• 01:04:30 – Key Learnings
• 01:08:50 – Thank you Patreons!

FILMS

• DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS (1995) — (w) Carl Franklin, Walter Mosley (d) Carl Franklin
• WOMAN OF THE HOUR (2024) — (w) Ian Mcdonald (d) Anna Kendrick
• DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944) — (w) Raymond Chandler, James M Cain, Billy Wilder (d) Billy Wilder
• THE LONG GOODBYE (1973) — (w) Leigh Brackett, Raymond Chandler (d) Robert Altman

SHOT ZERO DEEP DIVES

• Blocking a Sneak: DOUBLE INDEMNITY

LINKS

• Shot Zero: Noir shots in WOMAN OF THE HOUR

EPISODES IN THE NOIR SERIES

• DZ-123: Flawed Characters in Noir
• DZ-124: Making the Despicable Compelling

RELATED EPISODES

• DZ-123: Flawed Characters in Noir
• DZ-03: Making Unlikeable Protagonists Compelling
• DZ-110: Voiceover

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Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2026/dz-124/

Download episode: DZ-124.mp3