Review: ‘Another Simple Favor’ Is Simply Another Sequel Here For a Good Time, Not a Long Time

Over the better part of two decades, director Paul Feig has put out more crowd-pleasing comedy blockbusters than many filmmakers will in their entire career, from Bridesmaids to Spy to that Ghostbusters reboot that definitely misread the room but still deserves way more credit than it gets, if for no other reason than it gives Chris Hemsworth’s underappreciated comedic chops an opportunity to shine.

Like the film industry at large, the post-Covid era has been, let’s just say, a mixed bag for Feig. In many ways, it makes a lot of sense that he would make the first sequel of his career right about now. However, while the timing tracks, the choice of film feels a bit less organic. The first A Simple Favor might not be the greatest genre parody in Feig’s oeuvre, but it’s still ultimately Feig at the top of his game, making great use of an ensemble cast in a film that is fun and pleasantly familiar while having enough edge to not feel stale. It’s the kind of parody that’s a cut above because it lovingly and knowingly skewers the noir genre while also genuinely embodying the genre itself. The cat-and-mouse game between repressed stay-at-home mom Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) and martini-guzzling femme fatale working mom Emily Nelson (Blake Lively) is a a puzzle box of a movie where many of the pieces are knowingly ridiculous, but ultimately they still interlock in a relatively clever and ultimately satisfying way. It’s also a puzzle that feels distinctly complete by the end, and adapted from a book that has no sequel. A Simple Favor is arguably one of the least sequel-friendly films Feig’s ever made. Not the absolute least; he did direct Last Christmas. But definitely would be near the bottom of the list.

And yet, here we are, seven years and a whole pandemic later, returning to sexually-charged frenemies Stephanie and Emily as they embark on Another Simple Favor. Attempting to be an optimist in spite of my natural inclinations, I went into this sequel trying to convince myself perhaps Feig and his creative collaborators, many of whom are returning from the first installment, including screenwriter Jessica Sharzer (this time around sharing credit with Laeta Kalogridis), saw something I could not. Perhaps inspiration struck that was simply too tempting to deny.

Regretfully, this really is not the case. Another Simple Favor is one of the most sequel-y sequels to ever sequel. It brings back (almost) everyone who was fun the first time around, even if they don’t really have anything especially important or even vaguely relevant to do here. It introduces a whole host of new characters, all of whom feel second-rate compared to the original ensemble, and some of whom still don’t feel relevant to the plot. It moves the action to a gorgeous location in olive oil Europe (the isle of Capri), in the hopes that exploiting Amazon’s deep pockets might help hide the fact that the well of ideas is running low. (It doesn’t, although it does succeed in looking pretty.)

What there is to be found as a “plot” here is largely made from unpicking all the threads wrapped so neatly at the end of the first film and then retconning in a bunch of stuff, most of which only half makes sense, in order to establish the conditions necessary for this new outing. This time around, Emily, out of prison early for hand-wavy reasons that aren’t worth getting into, is once again asking Stephanie for a favor—namely, to be maid of honor in her wedding to her rich Italian beau Dante Versano (Michele Morrone), an old flame that rekindled while she was serving her sentence. Stephanie, whose pivot to true crime vlogging is proving trickier than anticipated, with her newly released debut crime novel underperforming, realizes Emily’s offer is too good to refuse in terms of revitalizing her stagnating channel. Things quickly spiral from there.

If you don’t really remember the first film, you will still be able to follow Another Simple Favor well enough, but it’s so derivative of its predecessor it will often feel like watching an inside joke you’re not fully in on. But on the flip side, if you do remember the first film, you will watch the sequel with full knowledge of just how much this second installment feels like an echo of the first. There are pros and cons to both approaches.

In happier news, Another Simple Favor is still fun. It’s just not very good. While it might not live up to the standard of the first film, it keeps true to its spirit, even if it’s less of a carefully constructed puzzle and more a vibe; the sort of fun you can enjoy in the background while making dinner or folding laundry without missing anything particularly important—which actually works out pretty well, considering it’s been released straight to streaming.

Another Simple Favor is now streaming on Amazon Prime.