Paul Feig’s Another Simple Favor — the sequel to Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick’s 2018 thriller — is still a couple of months away from hitting the 2025 movie calendar. There's already there’s been plenty of behind-the-scenes buzz, though. This weekend, however, movie lovers finally got to talk about the film itself. The sequel premiered at the South by Southwest film festival, and it sounds like we’re in for an even more unhinged experience this time around.
Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively are among those reprising their roles from A Simple Favor, and they’re joined by some new faces to the franchise, including Michele Morrone, Alex Newell and Allison Janney. Another Simple Favor sounds like fun when murder strikes an Italian wedding, but Jacob Oller of AV Club is missing Kendrick and Lively’s cat-and-mouse dance. The best part of the new film is the wardrobe, though Oller says the clothes outshine the mystery, characters, cast and humor. He gives the movie a C+, writing:
It’s a little long and dull for a runway show, even with Allison Janney showing up to gnaw on what remains of the scenery after Kendrick and Lively are finished with it. Though the simplest pleasures of Favor remain—catty chemistry between Kendrick and Lively, loopy twists, bravura statement outfits—the heat powering the concept has cooled to the extent that, despite the increased body count, the sequel feels as perfunctory as its title. It’s just Another one.
Owen Gleiberman of Variety also says the sequel provides “more twists and less fun.” The first half of that statement is quite a feat with all of A Simple Favor’s crazy plot twists. Anna Kendrick’s Stephanie has hardened since the first film, and the sequel loses something in that power dynamic shift, according to the critic, who says:
Another Simple Favor is a movie that offers more of the same, and not enough of it, and too much of it. The first film was set in Warwick, Conn., which gave it a small-town scuzziness. The new one is set in the luxe escapist climes of Capri, and it’s even more chockful of murder, decadent wealth, and twists you didn’t see coming. It’s like a flakier Knives Out sequel crossed with a cartoon gloss on White Lotus.
If you’re like me and needed A Simple Favor’s ending explained to you, get ready, because Christian Zilko of IndieWire says the sequel makes even less sense but in a good way. Paul Feig uses the same formula as the first, but ramps it up with some Italian mafia. Zilko, who graded the movie a B-, says:
Mob drama barely accounts for 10 percent of the craziness in Another Simple Favor, which also features its fair share of family sabotage, secret identities, assassinations, corrupt cops, unexpected fingering, and myriad other twists that will remain unspoiled. Describing the plot as utter nonsense would both be 100 percent correct and likely taken as a massive compliment for all involved. A swing for the fences that’s unconstrained by any form of reality is a pleasant thing to watch, even if its existence feels like little more than an excuse for the cast to hang out in Capri while Blake Lively models an indescribable collection of hats.
Kristy Puchko of Mashable says Another Simple Favor is at its best when Blake Lively cuts loose in “psycho-biddy fashion.” Anna Kendrick is still plucky, but the movie frankly drags when Emily isn’t on screen, Puchko says. In her words:
Is it better than the original? Yes and no. This is a far messier movie that the first, where the imbalance between the appeal of the plucky Stephanie and the devious Emily is even greater than before and the supporting characters are littered with undercooked roles. However, if your favorite bits of A Simple Favor was Lively embracing her inner bad girl and delivering face and looks? You'll cherish this divinely twisted thriller.
Glenn Garner of Deadline says audiences may note a few similarities between Another Simple Favor and its predecessor, but Paul Feig makes sure this is more than cashing in on existing IP. The nods to the 2018 movie serve as a playful wink, as the sequel stands firmly on its own. Garner continues:
Can Emily redeem herself after the acts she committed in the first film? The sequel answers that question by making sure she’s not the most unhinged person in the room anymore, a big swing that ultimately pays off. Not only does Another Simple Favor provide a satisfying arc for these addictive characters, but it might even set up fans for a trilogy.
It may be a little too soon to start talking about a threequel, especially given some of the speculation that Anna Kendrick wasn’t too thrilled about working with Blake Lively again. Either way, it sounds like Paul Feig didn’t pull his punches in this sequel, and audiences are in for quite a wild ride.
If you need a refresher on how the first movie went down seven years ago, A Simple Favor received much love on Netflix, so be sure to check it out before Another Simple Favor becomes available to stream with an Amazon Prime Video subscription
on May 1.
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