‘Another Simple Favor’ Review – More Does Not Equal Better

An unplanned sequel is, in the best cases, a dicey prospect. It is, almost always, a reaction to money made and yes, an opportunity to capitalize on that and make even more money. This is not to say that making a good, or even great, sequel is impossible. It’s just that the degree of difficulty gets quite high. An action movie? Make sure the set pieces are bigger and more explosive. A comedy? Those laughs better be even more massive. In the case of Another Simple Favor, this has led director Paul Feig to throw in more twists, more ridiculous characters, and most importantly, bigger and bolder outfits for Blake Lively.

Another Simple Favor picks up five years after the original film. Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) has become mildly famous as a vlogger, amateur detective, and author, all because of her adventures with Emily Nelson (Lively). Emily is in prison for her crimes, but not for long. For ludicrous plot reasons, she is let out of jail and is about to get married in Capri. For what is assumed by Stephanie to be nefarious reasons, Emily asks (and then demands on pain of litigation) that she be her maid of honor. Spurred on by her caricature of an agent, Vicky (Alex Newell), she agrees.

The greatness of the original film is in its balance. Yes, the plot is ridiculous, and yes the fashion was out of this world. But it all felt that it had a genuineness that grounded it in at least a kind of reality. Any sense of realism is not present in the least in the sequel. The entire film is an elongated excuse to film in beautiful locales and to hopefully win some awards for costuming. There are technically other characters, including Emily’s hopeful husband, Dante Versano (Michele Morrone), who is an important member of an Italian mafia family. Their marriage doubles for peace talks between two rival families, just to add unneeded drama.

Of course, the film has many twists and turns. Too many, in fact. It is a film that slowly beats you into submission and acceptance of its nonsense. Luckily, the two leads are charming enough that, despite wasting your time, you eventually just deal with twist after twist until it all wraps up. The consistent reaction is simply, “Ok, why not?” But on the bright side, Lively looks stunning and Kendrick is consistently engaging and funny, even in moments that test viewer patience. There is a particular interrogation scene that is genuinely laugh-out-loud funny, and it is only because of her carrying it through sheer charisma and determination.

There are a myriad of characters who weave in and out of the story, either for light comic relief or exhausting exposition. After all, with so many twists, we need to have someone explain it, as if it makes sense. Elizabeth Perkins takes over for Jean Smart as Emily’s mother and, as lovely as it is to see her again, simply sleepwalks and crazy talks through a thankless performance in a purposefully horrendous wig. Aunt Linda (Allison Janney) is also present, and thankfully, Janney is allergic to having a bad time on screen. She completely understands the movie she is in and plays her character to the hilt, stopping just short of breaking the fourth wall and winking at the audience. 

Another Simple Favor proves that more (and bigger) is not better, and takes the time to prove it repeatedly over the interminable runtime. The scenery is beautiful, the costuming is impeccable, and the stars shine bright. If that is all you are looking for, you are in luck! However, if you want a mildly plausible story, twists that make any kind of sense, or genuine fun like the original film, this one will leave you stranded and needing yet another distraction.

Another Simple Favor is now available to stream exclusively on Prime Video.