by Tim Gordon
Seven years ago, A Simple Favor surprised audiences with its delicious blend of black comedy, domestic noir, and haute couture chaos. Paul Feig took Darcey Bell’s novel and turned it into a cocktail of PTA mom satire and glossy thriller, anchored by the sparkling odd-couple energy of Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively.
Now Feig is back with Another Simple Favor, a sequel that trades suburban scandal for sun-drenched mob intrigue on the cliffs of Capri. The result? An entertaining but uneven caper that tries to go bigger, twistier, and glossier, but struggles to recapture the sly bite of its predecessor.
Stephanie Smothers (Kendrick) is living the true crime influencer dream: she’s a popular vlogger and the bestselling author of her tell-all about her twisted friendship with Emily Nelson (Lively). But at a book signing, the devil herself reappears, Emily, recently freed on appeal and ready to rewrite her narrative. She invites Stephanie to be the maid of honor at her extravagant Italian wedding to Dante Versano (Michele Morrone), a charming, rich boy with whispered mafia ties.
Stephanie’s reward? A boost in book sales, and the thinly veiled threat of a lawsuit if she refuses. Before she knows it, she’s jetting off to Capri with her fretful agent Vicky (the always reliable Andrew Rannells), ready to unravel a fresh mess of secrets, suspicious family members, and murder.
This time, the story shifts from satirical suburban noir to a tangled web of organized crime, bitter family feuds, and suspicious FBI agents. Dante’s imperious mother (Elizabeth Perkins, stepping in for Jean Smart) is instantly at odds with Emily, while Emily’s ex-husband Sean (Henry Golding) shows up to stir the pot, until he turns up dead in a hotel room under “accidental” circumstances.
The sequel deserves credit for refusing to rehash the original. The new setting and mafia backdrop open the door for bigger stakes and more flamboyant absurdity. Feig’s direction is as stylish as ever, giving the Italian coast a dreamy, conspiratorial glow. And the bachelorette party for one, where Stephanie is both the only guest and Emily’s emotional punching bag, is a standout reminder of how unsettlingly codependent these two women remain.
Where Another Simple Favor stumbles is in its attempt to outdo itself. The mafia angle is only half-developed, the twisty subplots feel more convoluted than clever, and much of the ensemble cast (including a criminally underused Allison Janney) barely gets a chance to shine. There’s plenty of intrigue but not enough tension — the balancing act between wicked social satire and pulpy crime thriller never quite clicks the way it should.
What holds it together is the undeniable chemistry between Kendrick and Lively. Kendrick leans into Stephanie’s desperate need to be liked, always just one bad decision away from total ruin. Lively, meanwhile, remains magnetic; her Emily is both a hurricane and a mirror, showing Stephanie exactly who she wishes she could be (and who she fears she might become). Their love-hate, push-pull dynamic is the true beating heart of this series.
Reportedly, Feig is already considering another sequel, and honestly? I’d be open to it. Even when the plot teeters on the edge of nonsense, Kendrick and Lively make these movies worth watching. The idea of watching them age into their own bonkers Hitchcockian saga, full of martinis, secrets, couture, and cold-blooded chaos, is strangely irresistible. If Feig can tighten the story, sharpen the satire, and lean harder into the twisted dynamic that made the first film so fun, a third installment could be the favor we didn’t know we needed.
Another Simple Favor is messy, stylish, and more tangled than clever, but sometimes, the mess is half the fun.
Grade: C+
