'Another Simple Favor' Twists itself into a Knot
Another Simple Favor is so close to being a good movie. Throughout the first and second acts, it's a funny, enjoyable, unpredictable thriller that keeps twisting the plot without confusing the audience. Then, the third act comes in, where the film defecates the bed like it's Amber Heard. The movie starts out promising, then progressively gets dumber, subverting expectations for the sake of subverting expectations. It's not a very enjoyable experience when the plot keeps convoluting itself.
Director Paul Feig makes movies with mixed results. Bridesmaids was a pretty funny flick, while Ghostbusters (2016) was an unmitigated disaster. Another Simple Favor is in Feig's Ghostbusters camp, although it's still not nearly as bad as that film.
Another Simple Favor is the sequel to A Simple Favor. The first film is pretty good. Not great, but enjoyable. Its story is focused on Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick), a blogger who makes cooking recipes and crafts for moms. Stephanie doesn't have a husband (at least not anymore), causing her to be a little lonely. Stephanie strikes up a friendship with Emily Nelson (Blake Lively). Eventually, that relationship turns sour when Emily sticks her kid with Stephanie as she heads to London, then goes missing, only to reappear like nothing happened. The first film had twists that didn't hinder the story while also staying consistent with the characters' personas. Another Simple Favor does the opposite.
After the events of the first film, Stephanie is not only a blogger for moms but also a true crime expert who wrote a book about what happened to Emily, referring to her in the book as "the faceless blond." To Stephanie's surprise, Emily shows up at her book signing, asking Stephanie to be the maid of honor for her wedding in Capri, Italy. What happened to her 20-year sentence? How did she get out? If it was detailed in the film how she's back, I may have missed it. She might have gotten out due to white privilege money. That or her shady Italian future husband got her out because of his stature. Emily's return proves that if you have enough money, you're above the law. Just look at how many people in Washington as examples of money dominating the judicial system.
If Stephanie doesn't agree to attend the wedding, she will be blackmailed. Reluctantly, Emily concedes to go to the wedding along with her friends. When Emily offers Stephanie a trip to Capri, her friends immediately say yes. That doesn't feel believable. Emily almost killed Stephanie in the first film. This person is a murderer; why would you even trust her? Just say no and lawyer up for protection.
In Capri, we find out that Emily's fiancé, Dante Versano (Michele Morrone), is connected to the Italian mafia. That point is very clear when security guards are holstering rifles, covering all fronts around Emily. For most of the movie, the picture is dynamic. There are a lot of plot twists that work. Early on in the film, there's a death that pays homage to the shower scene in Psycho because everyone has to rip off that movie. I did not expect that character to die so soon. If only they had kept their mouth shut, Dante or Emily would have spared their life. Unfortunately, they had too much integrity to stay silent.
The performances in this film range from mediocre to great. Anna Kendrick is likable, if not a bit too stagey. She emphasizes every line with a bit of sarcasm and nervousness. However, there is a great scene where Kendrick tears up. The best performance of the film comes from Blake Lively, who's playing a slightly more sinister version of herself. Blake effortlessly plays a condescending bully in the picture.
The rest of the cast isn't too bad either. One particular performance that stands out is Allison Janney's portrayal of the conniving Aunt Linda McLanden. Janney channels her character from I, Tonya, which works well for this narrative. Despite some impressive performances and an engaging story, the movie stumbles over itself in the third act.
Plot twists can be tricky to pull off—just ask M. Night Shyamalan. For the most part, the twists worked until the film's final subversions, which are not only absurd but also change Blake Lively's character, going completely against her role.
There are deaths in the film, which the other characters don't even react to, so Paul Feig can hastily hurdle the plot off a cliff. The ending isn't only stupid, but it also changes the events from the first film through lazy screenwriting. Another Simple Favor is close to being a good film. Unfortunately, not even all the beauty in Italy can save this messy sequel that sets the stage for a third one. Please don't do that..
These Simple Favor films worked as one movie. Making three is oversaturating the brand. With three movies, the audience can pick up on the repetitive nature of the films. It's a place where unnecessary plots can only reiterate themselves at nauseam. Luckily, you don't have to drive to a theater to see it, as the film is arriving on Amazon Prime this Thursday, May 1st. Maybe watching it from home will help you to sleep late at night.
