In 2018, director Paul Feig scored an unexpected hit with the crime comedy A Simple Favor (2018) With actresses Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick. In 2025 there was the sequel with the creative title Another Simple Favor (2025). Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) and Emily (Blake Lively), the two ‘girlfriends’, meet again in this part.
What was the film about again?
Just for those who are no longer entirely clear about what the film was about from 2018: we follow the two oppoles Stephanie; House mother and vlogger about her favorite activity, namely baking cookies, and Emily, also mother but more flamboyant. One day of Emily asks Stephanie to remove her son Nicky from school, Emily will not return and a search for her starts. Together with Sean (Henry Golding), the husband of Emily, she tries to find out where she left.
In the new film, Stephanie is still a vlogger, but this time she investigates crimes and has now written a book about the adventures she has experienced with Emily. Unfortunately for her the viewing figures of her vlog and the book sales have been stagnated for a while. But the great savior in need turns out to be Emily, who comes in during a signing session and gives her vlog and book a huge boost. And not only that, she also invites her to become a bridesmaid during her wedding on the Italian beautiful island of Capri.
Strange types and colder developments
It is of course not just a wedding because Dante (Michele Marone), the upcoming man of Emily, turns out to be a mafia boss and in no time the island is flooded with all kinds of strange types. For example, Linda McLanden (Allison Janney), an aunt from Emily, suddenly appears there, her mother-in-law, a rather strange FBI agent and so on. And the complications also run out at a rapid pace, where one event is even stranger than the other.
The charm of the first film was in the mystery and the venomous one-two between Stephanie and Emily. The tension was really built up and for a long time it was unclear what had happened to Emily. In this part they try to repeat that, but that doesn’t work out completely. The bickering between the two girlfriends still works, but the humor is not always successful. Little subtle and occasionally also quite childish. The many characters who populate the film also add little. And then the story: it is not very exciting and mysterious – something the first film did – and the complications are very far -fetched and therefore often unbelievable.
Nice for in between
In terms of setting it is very reminiscent of the series The White Lotus (2021– ) And in terms of theme on the Knives Out films, but then less successful. The question then quickly arises: should this film have been made? The first film was a reasonable hit in the cinema and the fact that this film did not even reach the cinema and can only be seen on prime video is usually also a sign on the wall. And yet, the film watches nicely – despite the too long playing time – Lively and Kendrick are really on track again and the direction is in the hands of Feig. You could conclude that it is an entertaining snack that should not have been made, but what you can enjoy at home on the couch. The end of the film hints to the next part, but let’s hope it will stay here.
Beeld: Still ‘Another Simple Favor’ via TMDb
