Another Simple Favor Review: Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick Excel in Paul Feig’s Sinfully Fun, Twisty Sequel

Here’s a sequel I didn’t think needed Another Simple Favor. However, considering that the first movie became a sleeper hit when it was released seven years ago, the studio saw this as a goldmine and even managed to bring back Paul Feig for the sequel. Feig isn’t a fan of sequels, going as far as upholding his rule of no-sequel policy. But all that somewhat changes when he decides to bend his own rule and returns to direct the sequel to A Simple Favor.

Looking back at the first movie, Paul Feig’s attempt to combine neo-noir murder mystery with black comedy benefits from Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick’s entertaining performances and boasts stylish visuals. But despite the promising setup, the movie suffers from an overstretched storyline, while the comedy side is largely a mixed bag.

So, I’m not sure about the sequel. But who knows, maybe it might surprise me with a better-than-expected follow-up. The last time we met Emily Nelson (Blake Lively), she found herself being outsmarted by mummy blogger Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick), thanks to her button-like nanny cam streaming live on her vlog. Long story short, Emily got arrested after she tried to escape and was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment for murdering her father and twin sister. In the meantime, Stephanie’s vlog became an overnight sensation after amassing one million subscribers and even found a newfound fame setting up her own cold case agency.

Like the first movie, the sequel begins with Stephanie doing a live stream of her vlog called A Pinch of Murder, telling the audience she’s at the beautiful island of Capri and also being placed under house arrest. She then takes us back to where it all begins. We learn that she’s now a true-crime author of “The Faceless Blonde”, but despite having a loyal fan base, her book sales aren’t exactly that good.

Then comes the surprise: During her book-reading session, Emily shows up looking all glamorous as usual. She’s currently on parole, thanks to some high-powered lawyers and wants Stephanie to be her maid of honour because she’s getting married to a wealthy Italian mafia named Dante Versano (Michele Morrone).

The wedding is going to be lavish since it takes place on the island of Capri. Not that Stephanie has any choice since Emily is blackmailing her for fulfilling the simple favour. But Stephanie remains sceptical: Why bother inviting her to the wedding since she’s the one who put her in jail? Is Emily doing this because of revenge? Instead of flying solo on Emily’s private jet, she brings along her book agent, Vicky (Alex Newell).

Once there, Stephanie meets Dante and his mother (Elena Sofia Ricci), who isn’t pleased with her son’s upcoming wedding. Emily’s ex-husband, Sean (Henry Golding), is there too, now pretty much a drunkard who can’t stop ranting about how he doesn’t want to be here at the wedding, and their son Nicky (Ian Ho). If that’s not enough, there’s Emily’s senile mother Margaret (Elizabeth Perkins, who replaced Jean Smart from the first movie), who is accompanied by her long-lost aunt Linda (Allison Janney).

The sequel clocks in at two hours, which makes me worried whether this is going to be another protracted black comedy mystery like the first movie. The good news is that Feig somehow improves on the pacing, and his direction is more assured. The love-hate chemistry between Lively and Kendrick remains the highlight here, and it’s wickedly fun to see them trading insults (the recurring “brother f***** ” is one of them), bickering and suspecting each other.

Individually, Kendrick’s Stephanie is no longer a pushover like the first movie. Her experience and what she’s been through during the last time had made her more acute than ever. Even when Emily insists she wants Stephanie to be her maid of honour, she’s not letting her guard down and remains prudent. Kendrick handles her role well, and so does her comic timing, particularly during an elaborate scene when she starts confessing after being injected with a truth serum.

The ever-sneaky Lively, whose chameleon-like Emily keeps you wondering whether she’s baiting Stephanie to come to her wedding for vengeance later on. Credits also go to Jessica Sharzer and Laeta Kalogridis’ labyrinthine screenplay for keeping the movie mostly intriguing as it progresses. The stakes are higher too, with more deaths, red herrings and of course, a twist. Let’s just say the twist is preposterous but still fun enough to keep me invested in the movie, thanks to Feig’s assured direction for embracing its absurdity of his sequel’s premise wholeheartedly. The sequel also gets an extra boost from newcomers, notably Elena Sofia Ricci as Dante’s disgruntled mother and Allison Janney playing Emily’s aunt, who has an agenda of her own.

Another Simple Favor is currently streaming on Prime Video.