‘Another Simple Favor’ – Review
Get ready to trade PTA meetings for passport stamps and pencil skirts for couture chaos, because Another Simple Favor has officially arrived—and it’s an intoxicating mix of murder, martinis, and mayhem. Paul Feig, the genre-bending maestro behind 2018’s A Simple Favor, returns with a sharper knife, a more poisonous martini, and a whole new mystery that’s as savage as it is stylish. Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively reunite with guns blazing, stilettos sharpened, and secrets stacked to the heavens. If you thought things were wild the first time around, buckle up—because this wedding is to die for.
Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Blake Lively) reunite on the beautiful island of Capri, Italy, for Emily’s extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman. Along with the glamorous guests, expect murder and betrayal to RSVP for a wedding with more twists and turns than the road from the Marina Grande to the Capri town square.
Paul Feig has made a name for himself as a director who doesn’t just flirt with genre, he seduces it, handcuffs it, and drags it into completely uncharted territory. With Another Simple Favor, Feig dials up the drama, the decadence, and the devilry in a sun-soaked sequel that’s anything but “simple.” It’s a smouldering powder keg of deceit, glamour, and vengeance, and we’re down for the ride.
We pick up with Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick), the former mommy-blogger turned true-crime podcaster who’s been riding the coattails of her explosive past with Emily Nelson (Blake Lively). But fame has fizzled, her book flopped, and Stephanie is left with nothing but her overworked imagination and a dwindling audience. That is until Emily, fresh out of prison, looking like the face of a million-dollar Chanel ad, and not even slightly repentant, invites her estranged bestie to be the maid of honor at her upcoming wedding. The location? The picturesque and suspiciously perfect Isle of Capri. The groom? The dangerously dashing Dante Versano (Michele Morrone), a man with smouldering eyes and secrets darker than Italian espresso. And a choatic playground of trouble awiats.
From the moment Stephanie touches down, the vibe is unmistakable: this isn’t just a wedding — this is a full-blown psychological warzone in heels. Feig wastes no time plunging audiences back into the deliciously twisted dynamic between his two leads. The suspense comes layered with biting satire, haute couture, and the kind of razor-sharp wit that slices through scenes like a switchblade through silk. There’s tension, there’s betrayal, and yes — there’s murder.
Anna Kendrick’s Stephanie Smothers has evolved, and not necessarily for the better. Burnt-out, socially isolated, and clinging to her former glory, she’s no longer the sunny suburban sleuth of 2018. Kendrick plays her with a brittle edge and nervous energy, peeling back layers of vulnerability as Stephanie once again gets pulled into Emily’s chaotic orbit. It’s a performance that’s equal parts hilarious and dramatic, and Feig knows exactly when to play her off-kilter humour for maximum tension.
Then there’s Blake Lively. As Emily Nelson, she once again walks the tightrope between femme fatale and full-blown sociopath. She’s back, and she’s badder than ever. Lively leans fully into the role, portraying Emily with icy elegance, crackling wit, and the kind of couture power that would make Hitchcock swoon. She’s a walking enigma, a puzzle in Prada, and you never quite know if she’s about to kiss you, or kill you. There’s a deliciously twisted pleasure in watching her toy with Kendrick’s Stephanie like a cat with a cornered mouse, and Lively brings back her Hitchcockian allure with a performance that’s equal parts Grace Kelly and femme fatale gone rogue. It’s a masterclass in charismatic villainy, and Lively clearly relishes every devilish moment.
Henry Golding reprises his role as Emily’s ex-husband Sean, and he’s undergone his own transformation. Disheveled and bitter, Sean is a shell of the man we met in the first film. Golding ditches the charm for a more abrasive, alcoholic edge that adds another volatile layer to the already combustible ensemble. He’s a wild card, constantly threatening to unravel the whole thing.Then there’s Michele Morrone as Dante Versano; the rich, ridiculously handsome Italian groom whose grand gestures hide some deeply sinister motives. Morrone is magnetic on screen, all brooding stares and seductive charm, but there’s a storm behind those eyes. Is he a devoted fiancé or a deadly player in Emily’s twisted game? Morrone walks the line beautifully, keeping both Stephanie and the audience guessing until the bitter end.
Feig doesn’t stop at his main players. The supporting cast is bursting with delicious performances, each one a spicy olive in this cinematic cocktail. Allison Janney blazes into the frame as Emily’s wickedly sharp Aunt Linda McLanden, who is armed with a biting tongue and secrets of her own. Elizabeth Perkins is terrifyingly funny as Margaret McLanden, Emily’s unstable, foul-mouthed mother who crashes the wedding with uninvited fury. And then there’s Elena Sofia Ricci as Portia Versano, Dante’s mother, whose hatred of Emily is so potent it might as well be weaponized. She’s a full-blown aristocratic assassin in pearls, and her scenes with Kendrick are electric.
Feig transforms the entire production into a jet-set thriller dripping in Mediterranean opulence. The Isle of Capri setting is almost too beautiful to be true, thanks to its lavish villas, crashing waves, and glowing sunsets, but it’s that very postcard-perfect look that gives the film its unnerving edge. Something this perfect has to be hiding something, and does it ever. Costume designer Renée Ehrlich Kalfus delivers some of the most jaw-dropping fashion seen on screen this year, with Lively once again donning looks that scream “venomous elegance.” Every outfit tells a story – every accessory could be a murder weapon. While Theodore Shapiro’s slick, noir-tinged score pulses beneath the surface, echoing the Hitchcockian vibes that permeate every scene.
Another Simple Favor is the kind of sequel that doesn’t just live up to its predecessor — it stabs it in the back, steals its dress, and runs off to the Amalfi Coast. It’s darker, wilder, sexier, and far more unhinged. Feig has created a twisted, stylish, and deliciously unpredictable puzzle-box of a movie that keeps you on your toes until the very last gasp. Whether you’re here for the fashion, the thrills, the twisted friendships, or just a really good murder-mystery cocktail, this film has everything you want and more.
Image: Prime Video
