Despite unfounded rumors of a behind-the-scenes feud between Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, on screen the two reunite to ask you for a favor: to enjoy Another Simple Favor — even if its messy, twist-heavy script makes that a tall order. They ask with so much energy that, honestly, I almost felt bad saying no.
A sequel to 2018’s A Simple Favor — a film that was stylish and fun, if basically a more glamorous but shallower Gone Girl — Another Simple Favor brings back most of the original cast, only to quickly sideline them so it can throw Stephanie (Kendrick) into another chaotic game orchestrated by Lively’s Emily, this time against the postcard-perfect backdrop of Capri, Italy.
The script, written by Jessica Sharzer (returning from the first film) and Laeta Kalogridis, wisely knows the original worked best when its two leads were riffing off each other. So it wastes no time getting them back together. And for a while, it works. The first half offers beautiful Italian scenery, Lively once again strutting around like a walking couture mannequin, and Kendrick getting laughs from her uptight, paranoid energy. There’s a breezy, White Lotus-style vibe that makes it easy to just enjoy the ride.
But Another Simple Favor can’t resist overcomplicating things. Instead of centering the story around a single mystery, it piles on murders, frame jobs, and twist after twist. Some are obvious the moment new characters show up; others just don’t make sense. And by the second half, the film starts to drag and fall apart under all the chaos. Worst of all, the twists don’t surprise or trick the audience. It’s frustrating, because there’s a better, more fun thriller buried underneath — especially one plot point tied to a rare, genuine action by Emily — one that might’ve worked if the movie focused less on throwing things at us and more on pulling us into the game.
Even when the characters’ choices stretch logic — and don’t always feel true to how they behaved in the first film — Kendrick and Lively still spark off each other effortlessly. The script may fall apart, but depending on how much you’re willing to just have fun with the stars, Another Simple Favor still delivers a breezy escape — just don’t expect it to tie its twists together as neatly as its designer wardrobe.