A One Mann’s Movies review of “Another Simple Favour” (2025).
Alernative (US) title: “Another Simple Favor”.
You have to go back 7 years to 2018 for the original film, “A Simple Favor“. Looking back at my review, I wrote about it in fonder terms than I remember it. What I didn’t write about at the time was how convoluted the plot of that film was: I refreshed my memory with the synopsis on IMDB and it is almost impossible to follow! The reason that this is relevant is that the delayed sequel – “Another Simple Favor” – is both equally convoluted and requires you as the viewer to remember some of the key plot points of that earlier movie.
But given my initial doubts about the film – and it did start really poorly – I warmed to the goofy comedy thriller vibe with Blake Lively giving a vivacious and winning performance.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
“Another Simple Favor” Plot:
Author and blogger Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) is in the process of launching her new book based on her experiences with the psychopathic Emily Nelson (Blake Lively) when who should walk into the book reading but Emily, now let out of prison on a technicality. Blake surprises her in announcing that she is getting married to Italian hunk Dante Versano (Michele Morrone) on the beautiful island of Capri and wants Stephanie to be her maid-of-honour. Given the grudge that surely Emily holds against her, Stephanie expects to be horribly murdered at some point during the weekend and her blog audience hold their breath expecting things to get juicy!
Certification:
UK:Â 15;Â US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Language, strong violence, abusive behaviour, sex references, suicide”.)
Talent:
Starring: Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick, Michele Morrone, Joshua Satine, Bashir Salahuddin, Taylor Ortega,
Henry Golding, Ian Ho, Lorenzo de Moor, Elena Sofia Ricci, Allison Janney, Elizabeth Perkins, Alex Newell.
Directed by: Paul Feig.
Written by: Jessica Sharzer & Laeta Kalogridis. (Based on characters created by Darcey Bell.)
Running Time: 2h 0m.
“Another Simple Favor” Summary:
Positives:
- Capri – a place I visited in 2023 – looks as stunning as I remember.
- Blake Lively has a lot of fun with her performance.
- The plot takes a subversive (and quite entertaining) turn that I quite enjoyed.
Negatives:
- Anna Kendrick’s character is as perkily annoying as in the first film….
- …but not as annoying as Stephanie’s PA Vicky (Alex Newell) whose comedy schtick really grates.
- I had a problem with Blake Lively’s famous beauty mark!
Review of “Another Simple Favor”:
Glossy production values.
It is common for sequels to try to spice things up by taking the characters to exotic foreign climes. In this case, given that the first film was trying to emulate a Hitchcock/Cary Grant kind of vibe, the transposition to the island of Capri feels entirely appropriate. And Capri DOES look fantastic. I visited the island, off the city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, and walked up to the ruins of Tiberius’s palace and the cliffs where the Roman emporor threw unfavoured courtiers off the vertiguous precipice. I also sat and had a meal in one of the little cafes that surround the gorgeous little town square. Both feature strongly in the film and I greatly enjoyed the locations and the cinematography making it look a million dollars (which the locations definitely are!).
A murderous wedding cocktail.
When this film started, it felt like a truly dreadful idea. The set-up felt forced and contrived and the film felt like a bit of an artless money-grab. But once we get to Capri we are introduced to a bunch of more interesting characters including Elizabeth Perkins (the rather dodgy girlfriend to Tom Hanks’s 13-year-old in “Big”!) as Margaret, Emily’s estranged (and very strange) mother; Allison Janney as Margaret’s minder, Aunt Linda; and Portia Versano (Elena Sofia Ricci), Dante’s terrifying mother.
It also becomes clear that the Versano family are mafiosa and have a long-standing vendetta with the Bartolo family, also attending the wedding: we see Dante in intense discussions with his counterpart in the opposite family, Matteo Bartolo (Lorenzo de Moor). Throw in Emily’s drunk and imprudently-gobby ex-husband Sean (Henry Golding) and it’s a murderous concoction that Agatha Christie would have been proud of.
The plot goes in a surprising direction.
But the multiple murders that follow are not where the intrigue in this film lies. There is a twist in the tale that is either utterly stupid or utterly brilliant, depending on how you view it, leading to some intriguing (if a bit non-PC) girl-on-girl action for Blake Lively, a quite sweet Romeo-and-Juliet-esque explanation for the Emily/Dante marriage and a suitably satisfying use of the ‘Salto di Tiberio’!
Blake Lively having fun.
Blake Lively really has a lot of fun with this role and – despite all of the recent internet furore about her feud with her co-star in last year’s “It Ends With Us” – she remains a consummate and ever-so-cool actress that I always enjoy watching. She also gets to wear a sun hat that will surely be the most ridiculous looking creation that I am going to see at the movies this year!
Sadly, despite her turning in a good performance here, I continue to find Anna Kendrick a bit annoying and her character Stephanie winds my irritation meter up to 11. (But this might just be a personal thing.) But that’s nothing compared to the irritation I find with Vicky (Alex Newell) who is Stephanie’s over-loud and ‘zany’ personal assistant. She is supposed to be the comedic character in the plot, but she really ground my gears.
It was a nice touch to bring back both of the young kids (Joshua Satine and Ian Ho) from the original film, even though they are now in their teens!
That beauty spot!
One of Blake Lively’s signature facial features is that beauty spot on her right cheek. But for spoilery reasons I can’t disclose why. But if you’ve watched the film you will no doubt understand my issue. Nuff said.
Summary Thoughts on “Another Simple Favor”
I really can’t describe Paul Feig’s long-delayed sequel as a great film. And as it started, I thought it was going to be a terrible film. But it did pick up with some glossy production values and a fabulous foreign location. It made for an entertaining “ironing film”!
“Another Simple Favor” (or “Favour”, depending on your continent) is currently available to stream under a Prime Video subscription.
Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)
Trailer for “Another Simple Favor”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWajCwdC_TM.
Subscribe
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to One Mann’s Movies to receive future reviews by email right here. No salesman will call!
