Another Simple Favour (2025)

I was utterly baffled to see this advertised on Amazon Prime last week. Simply the idea of a sequel to Paul Feig's very much standalone A Simple Favour (2018) was the definition of flogging a dead horse; the original had so many fake-outs, twists, back-stabbings- (and ended with Blake Lively's character being sent to prison for twenty years) that there was no reason whatsoever for a sequel.

In fact, one of the (favourable) reviews I read for this sequel opened with a line declaring that on paper there was plenty of reasons for a sequel. There wasn't. Money, sure, but the fact that it's not even getting a cinematic release kind of shoots that down somewhat as well.

Anyway, I digress. A Simple Favour was a deeply flawed film that totally loses its way in its final third; but before it gets to that point there is plenty to enjoy within its modern mock-noir set up, not least the presence of Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively who are both on terrific, playful form. It was throwaway nonsense, but undoubtedly justified its messy existence.

Lively and Kendrick return for this sequel, set almost entirely on the island of Capri- because Lively's Emily is out of prison early, and marrying a rich mob boss and she wants Stephanie (Kendrick) to be her maid of honour. Hang on- didn't Stephanie put her in prison? Yes, but access to Emily's wedding would be a tremendous opportunity for Stephanie to grow her online fan base, to whom she vlogs, livestreams, whatever.

So, the fact she goes immediately annoyed me despite it being the only way the film can move forward. It also, in fairness, shows us the underlying narcissism and lack of self worth that she's always struggled with- and once again unleashes itself on the film as we go on. And on.

Lively's Emily is completely deluded, and twice the narcissist Stephanie is (or is she? Actually, this argument is one of the more interesting aspects of the film now I come to think about it but is never explored) and the rampant wealth and despicable characters all congregate and assault Capri's beauty for over two hours.

Yeah, two hours. The film is way too long, outstaying its welcome by around an hour and a half, demeaning our intelligence and testing our patience in a way that mine hadn't been challenged in some time.

All the interesting and worthy portions of the first film have been discarded in favour of the insane, ludicrous and frankly desperately dull elements of it- and those have been pumped into Another Simple Favour like a incessant sewage spill; whilst we bask in the wealth of loathsome individuals who we do not give one solitary shit about.

Allison Janney turns up and admirably manages to avoid falling into the pit of despair that the film becomes- she at least enjoys herself, just like Lively and Kendrick thankfully seem to. Indeed, it's these three that save the film from total oblivion. Another Simple Favour isn't hateful, it's just absolute rubbish.

The total lack of need for a sequel has never stopped them being made before of course, and in this case I thought it might well be an enjoyable couple of hours to spend in Capri with characters who were at times enjoyable in the first film.

I got it badly wrong, and by the time the inevitable twists, back-stabbings, more twists, fake-outs, and more twists arrive you're not only long past caring- each extra one feels like a personal insult.

Another Simple Favour looks like it exists simply to have given the actors a garish and absolutely sensational looking holiday with no expense spared. And I suppose in some ways if that was genuinely the point behind it, I would have to give it the first ever 10/10 that I've ever awarded. Unfortunately for Feig and his two hours of bullshit, I'm critically assessing a piece of film making, and Another Simple Favour is one of the worst films I have seen in some time. I didn't care about any of the characters, anything that was going on, and by the end of it wasn't even bothered by the beauty of Capri.

It is absolute toilet. A public toilet, that hasn't been cleaned in years, in which you have to walk through piss and avoid the shit on the floor to finally get to a bowl which is totally blocked with more of the same. But not vomit; thankfully, A Simple Favour avoids that last insult, meaning it's a far superior piece of work than something like Vacation (2015) or How to Be Single (2016).

And in the end, perhaps that's all Feig and co. were aiming for. Who knows. 3.2/10