Another Simple Favor Review: I Had A Ridiculously Fun Time Watching Blake Lively & Anna Kendrick Banter In Stakeless Paul Feig Sequel

Paul Feig said that he doesn’t like most sequels at the SXSW premiere of Another Simple Favor, but the characters called him back. Indeed, sequels are terrifying. I always expect that they’ll rarely — if ever — live up to the original film. After watching Another Simple Favor, I’m convinced Feig knows that too. Working from a script by Laeta Kalogridis and Jessica Sharzer, the sequel to 2018’s A Simple Favor pulls all the elements that made the first one so fun. The fashion is top-tier, the dark humor is, well dark, and the characters quippy and sarcastic.

Even the new characters, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’s Alex Newell as Stephanie’s ᴀssistant and Allison Janney as Emily’s aunt Linda, settle right in as though they’ve always been there. Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, as Emily Nelson and Stephanie Smothers, respectively, still have great chemistry as their characters’ sordid relationship enters a whole new era. With Another Simple Favor, Feig has managed to make a fun, delightfully ridiculous film, though it lacks the stakes and suspense of the original.

Another Simple Favor Is Elevated By Stephanie & Emily’s Relationship

Like its predecessor, Another Simple Favor wouldn’t work without Lively and Kendrick’s characters. Emily and Stephanie have a bizarre relationship that strangely has its heartwarming moments. Stephanie is rightfully terrified of Emily after learning she’s out of prison thanks to the powerful lawyers of her new fiancé, Dante Versano (Michele Morrone). When Emily crashes Stephanie’s book signing event to ask her to be her maid of honor, Stephanie can do nothing but agree to go to Capri, Italy for the wedding. After all, Emily says, she owes her.

I could see how much Lively and Kendrick enjoyed playing these characters again and, no matter how twisted the story got, I could always rely on them to ground it.

Their banter is fantastic. Stephanie is a rambling mess who is less uncomfortable with herself than she used to be, foregoing niceties in the face of her new predicament. Meanwhile, Emily is as cool and collected as ever, and though she messes with Stephanie a lot, she also trusts her even as she fails to divulge more secrets. Their scenes together are the best in the film and their chemistry is palpable.

I could see how much Lively and Kendrick enjoyed playing these characters again and, no matter how twisted the story got, I could always rely on them to ground it. The characters grow yet maintain their distinct traits, playing off each other like old, warped friends who have the tables turned on the previous iteration of their relationship. Stephanie is less in awe of Emily and more amused, while Emily is more of a champion of Emily’s true crime skills.

The rest of the cast — from Henry Golding’s Sean, who’s become quite bitter and, like Stephanie, has completely dropped the facade of being nice (if one could have called him that), to Elena Sofia Ricci’s Portia, Emily’s annoyed mother-in-law whose facial reactions are honestly the best of the whole film — are excellent. They all work in tandem to bring this absurd dark comedy to life. If anything, everyone seems a bit more unhinged than before, which makes the actors more fun to watch.

Another Simple Favor Is Outlandish & Knows It

But It Could’ve Used A Bit More Suspense

I really liked A Simple Favor and its detachment from any true sense of reality made it an incredibly fun watch. Another Simple Favor follows suit in that regard and it’s even more goofy than the first one. There are genuinely funny moments that had the audience at my screening laughing out loud multiple times. I would go so far as to say it’s campy. It’s not trying to be something it’s not and it plays into its outlandish nature well for the most part. It’s weird and fun and over-the-top, which is what makes it so watchable.

Some of that allure is gone in the sequel and none of the new characters offer up much of a replacement.

That said, the sequel also lacks real stakes. There was never a moment that I feared Stephanie would die, or that Emily would be the one to kill her. There’s one death that shocked me with its abruptness, but it’s ultimately the absence of mysterious suspense that stalls the film. What’s more, flashbacks to a case Stephanie thought she’d solved and felt guilty about what happened with its lead suspect, ring hollow. It felt tacked on to give a reason for Stephanie going dark on social media.

In the first film, there was a bit more allure to Emily and her machinations. Some of that allure is gone in the sequel and none of the new characters offer up much of a replacement. Dante and his relationship with his family and rival Matteo Bartolo (Lorenzo de Moor) come close, but we don’t spend enough time with them to be captivated enough by them.

Luckily, these criticisms don’t derail Another Simple Favor, which is still exciting and entertaining from start to finish. The fashion alone, from design supervisor Stefano De Nardis and the costume team, elevates the film, turning it into an extravagant spectacle. I’m less pleased Another Simple Favor’s ending sets up a sequel because it’s unnecessary, but I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t be just as invested in watching these characters again.

Another Simple Favor had its premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival.