A Simple Favor
Lionsgate | Release Date: September 14, 2018
6.9
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 236 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
159
Mixed:
62
Negative:
15
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User scoreBy dateMost helpful
5
chrisd19844Dec 22, 2018
This film is a politically correct quagmire of a movie. The story itself is trite and predictable and the movie had a ton of plot holes. Plus, you can tell the producers or the multicultural team wanted to blatantly throw in all kinds ofThis film is a politically correct quagmire of a movie. The story itself is trite and predictable and the movie had a ton of plot holes. Plus, you can tell the producers or the multicultural team wanted to blatantly throw in all kinds of people just to save face. You have the main actor as a yellow dude, who is married to a Caucasian woman, yet their kid (this annoying yellow kid) looks nothing like the Caucasian woman at all which makes no sense. Then on top of that you have the yellow dude bed both Caucasian woman which seems to me like they want to push interracial dating on the masses. The funniest part of the PC agenda in this film are the random brown people thrown in who serve no purpose to the story. There's one woman and her kid who is just sort of there, and the few lines she does say make her sound unsure of herself (but not in a funny way, more of an "I can't act and I was only put her to represent brown people" sort of way.) And then there's another random brown girl thrown in who works at the front desk of a company. Again, she doesn't really act, she's just sort of there. And then of course you have a token gay guy thrown in and a bunch of black actors and the author and screenwriter are both female. Yeah, if you're not a fan of PC stuff I would say to avoid this movie like the plague as it's not a good movie to begin with. You can't trust critics on sites like Rotten Tomatoes as they're usually liberal types who like this sort of thing or they've been given bonuses to rate certain films favorably.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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5
PurpleCrayon4UDec 6, 2018
A Simple Favor 2018 -What starts out to be fresh and dynamic
begins to fall in upon itself when one of
the founding layers is taken away. -Superb writing that turns cliche later on -Anna Kendrick keeps playing the same innocent, naive turnedA Simple Favor 2018 -What starts out to be fresh and dynamic
begins to fall in upon itself when one of
the founding layers is taken away.
-Superb writing that turns cliche later on
-Anna Kendrick keeps playing the same
innocent, naive turned witty and cunning
character in dramas
-This should have been a PG-13 tale or
a harder R, which would have made it
easier to overlook the disastrous ending.
-The first 20 minutes of the Blake Lively
character is worth sitting through the
remaining 95 minutes… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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6
LegendaryLassDec 16, 2018
It starts as a genuinely compelling mystery with sharp humor but it slowly rolls over the finish line as a disappointing neither-nor: the laughs destroy the suspense and the audience is too busy trying to wrap their minds around the ludicrousIt starts as a genuinely compelling mystery with sharp humor but it slowly rolls over the finish line as a disappointing neither-nor: the laughs destroy the suspense and the audience is too busy trying to wrap their minds around the ludicrous story to enjoy the jokes.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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6
tropicAcesSep 15, 2018
Fun at times and Lively turns in a darkly comedic performance, it’s just the film thinks it’s a little more smart and Gone Girl-esque than it actually is...
2 of 5 users found this helpful23
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6
NavyBeanSep 17, 2018
Not bad. But plot holes and inexplicable behavior abound. The performances are all really good and I like the little kid who curses a lot. Anna Kendrick is super cute and funny and one day we will be married but Blake Lively is a bit much andNot bad. But plot holes and inexplicable behavior abound. The performances are all really good and I like the little kid who curses a lot. Anna Kendrick is super cute and funny and one day we will be married but Blake Lively is a bit much and her character hedges too much.… Expand
0 of 3 users found this helpful03
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6
amheretojudgeSep 22, 2018
to walk that thin line between sinister ideology and sketchy sequences..

A Simple Favor A Simple Favor is a plot driven dark comic thriller about two newly befriended eerie mothers through their kids, whose chemistry results into explosionto walk that thin line between sinister ideology and sketchy sequences..

A Simple Favor

A Simple Favor is a plot driven dark comic thriller about two newly befriended eerie mothers through their kids, whose chemistry results into explosion of cheats and tricks and even death. The chemistry is off the hook, it is almost like a dream team waiting to be allotted in a project, Kendrick and Lively are electrifying whenever they are on screen, they are funny and equally scary. This deeply sinister genre fuels on nothing but perspective, with a twisted mind set, it not only sets all the chess pieces accordingly, but draws in the most unexpected cards under its sleeves with justification and of course slick panache that makes you nod, in its self-created web of lies, on beat. Somehow, the combination of music and references to all the recipes goes well, Kendrick has the range to act like a typical overprotecting mom and obviously to rap with a mic-drop attitude that she has been carrying since Pitch Perfect. If actually taken into consideration, she sticks by on each frame of the feature and pulls it off all on her shoulder without even flinching for a split second. She learns fast, she takes time, she argues on petty thing and she cracks lame jokes, Kendrick is in her A game and this time she has got this three dimensional character that she is drunk on. On the other hand, Lively feels shadowed in Kendrick's footsteps, no matter how much power her character must possess, she somehow never feels the one in charge. The conversations are pragmatic, even the murmurings and tiny notions creates an everlasting impression, especially in its initial stages. The narration often surfs through various periods and is almost busy in itself to wait and breathe it all in, and this is where Feig comes in, his finesse on weaving out a nail-biting confrontation or close calls amps up this somewhat scattered script. Fieg has always had the potential to walk that thin line between sinister ideology and sketchy sequences, and this time he is armed with too much content to handle. His actual job in here is to extract all the crispy material and offer it a more personal touch to connect with the viewers, and he has brimmed the entire feature with such husky bits. The songs are up beating, the sound editing is impressive if not the background score, the cinematography is decent along with the editing and has calm and soothing camera work with stunning bright visuals. The narrative is gripping, adaptive and can be inedible at times, but the correct advice would be to nod along since most of the skipped steps are later closed in by accounting it into a circle. The tightly packed screenplay that keeps enfolding newer perspective and revealing and appealing characters as it ages on screen, Kendrick at the heart of it whose range never disappoints us and, Feig's long lasting passion whose euphoric energy never wears off in any frame, are the high points of the feature. A Simple Favor is neither simple nor a favor, it is convoluted to the core and a generous gift by Feig to these genre lovers.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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6
TVJerrySep 18, 2018
Anna Kendrick plays a sweet mom who gets embroiled in a murderous mystery, when her new friend (Blake Lively) disappears. Both women create fun characters (and wear some great looks), but the plot's twists aren't really that surprising, atAnna Kendrick plays a sweet mom who gets embroiled in a murderous mystery, when her new friend (Blake Lively) disappears. Both women create fun characters (and wear some great looks), but the plot's twists aren't really that surprising, at least not the way director Paul Fieg stages them. He's best known for his comedies featuring strong women ("Bridesmaids," "Ghostbusters," and "Spy"), but this foray into darker realms is more lighthearted than tense. Even though it's seldom truly funny, it still manages to be entertaining in a fun, frothy style.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
EludiumQ36Dec 31, 2018
A lot of regulars here have included many of the observations I'd make, so I'll add this: the film's beginning writes a check that the end bounces. It's a decent setup but falls apart in its execution, especially at the end where theA lot of regulars here have included many of the observations I'd make, so I'll add this: the film's beginning writes a check that the end bounces. It's a decent setup but falls apart in its execution, especially at the end where the twist-after-twist leaves you shaking your head and mumbling, "so so stupid, ..." It had real potential and in the hands of a director who knows what they're doing, would've been an awesome insurance-fraud-gone-wrong tale. Instead, it's a disappointing JV production. (Reasonable ratings for "A Simple Favor" are 4-7, anything more are shills or hyperfans of the stars.)… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
pnoyfilmtvadikSep 24, 2018
Kendrick! Hands down got this film up and going almost the whole entire movie. But I dont think this movie deserves the rating that its getting simply because it is not intelligent enough to be a mystery nor is it scary enough to be aKendrick! Hands down got this film up and going almost the whole entire movie. But I dont think this movie deserves the rating that its getting simply because it is not intelligent enough to be a mystery nor is it scary enough to be a thriller and definitely not funny enough to be a comedy.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
JLuis_001Sep 26, 2018
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Paul Feig makes it clear once again how limited is as a filmmaker and his biggest mistakes here is that he never seems to be sure of what he wanted to do.

A Simple Favor combines drama, mystery, crime, comedy and suspense in a plot that revolves all those elements but never manages to follow a straight path to be able to direct itself towards something more cohesive and therefore much more entertaining.

Very soon I notice that the plot twists are done more to keep you attentive than because they're really necessary and at all times they feel forced and frankly lacking the dramatic weight and surprising effect they think they have.

The main actresses? They're maybe the biggest disappointments. Even if we consider the completely lack of chemistry between both of them. The worst is their personality.

Anna Kendrick character is downright foolish and almost the whole film she plays the typical single mother who tries to be friendly and quirky but who also has a dark side and usually takes the reins of the situation when the situation involves sex as shown by the two sequences in which she sleeps with her half brother and her "friend's" husband but something else? No, the character is as simplistic as it is predictable.

Blake Lively tries to bring more attitude to the scenes but in all the moments in which her character presses and becomes more somber it seems a huge copy of what Rosemund Pike did with Amy Elliott in Gone Girl. Pike did it much better and in a much better film.

Honestly for me there was nothing special in this film. Beyond my disappointment, it seemed an incredibly boring experience that was neither funny nor dramatic nor mysterious enough to compensate for the time invested.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
JDX_AwesomeOct 11, 2018
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really didn’t want to see this movie, and I had very low expectations thanks to Paul Feig’s feminist ghost movie. It was better than I expected, I can say that. A few of the jokes made me chuckle, and some things that weren’t jokes made me chuckle. I was really excited that this was going to be really good once the opening started with the song and the appealing and stylized visuals, and then it immediately cuts to Anna Kendrick’s character making a vlog for moms. That’s the thing about this movie, every time it did something I liked, something else either undercut it or just made it worse overall. It has a lot of good ideas that I would love to see done differently and, frankly, better. This movie does have a decent style to it though. I like the scenes that are completely silent flashbacks except for one or two characters telling the story of what’s happening or just talking over it. The plot was really stupid and complicated for no reason. I found myself totally lost multiple times. And just to be clear, a movie can have a complicated plot if it’s explained well, otherwise, it’s just confusing. The dialogue is pretty cringe at times as well. It’s not always awful, but it’s not great overall. Also, the characters are actually not total idiots, which I did like. But the characters do change their minds pretty frequently for no reason except because the script said so. For example, Blake Lively’s character’s husband switches between Lively and Kendrick every ten minutes and it’s really distracting. Also, he fakes being with one or the other, but the actor does a terrible job of conveying this, so you never really know what’s going on with him. Not only is he not great in this movie, but I personally think Kendrick should stick with comedies. She’s not bad here, but definitely not good. I thought Lively was good though. Oh, also, I thought the scene with Lively’s character throwing the wrench up and hitting herself with it was done terribly and I laughed really hard. The wrench was falling way too slow to look even close to right. You should have enough time to put on a necklace as a wrench is falling from that height onto your eye. Also, I don’t know how many people could throw a wrench that high. I couldn’t. And here aim must be amazing to get it exactly where she wants it. And how did know it wasn’t gonna land wrong and just permanently mess her face up really badly? This scene is an example of how, besides the plot and dialogue, it’s just the little things that make this movie worse they it could be. If a different director made this movie, it could’ve been pretty good in every sense of the word.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
clarkaddisonSep 19, 2018
I enjoyed this film as a mindless audience member. Each thrill and twist made me animate emotions really well. At the end of the day though, it wasn’t a solid film. That is contradicting but, what I think most audiences and critics can agreeI enjoyed this film as a mindless audience member. Each thrill and twist made me animate emotions really well. At the end of the day though, it wasn’t a solid film. That is contradicting but, what I think most audiences and critics can agree on is that the first half or so is brilliant then it starts going off the rails. I can`t put my finger on it but some things just don’t click together. The three main actors do click and do act their collective cute fox socks off but it’s something with the writing and how everything gets ended in the third act. One of my favorite thrillers is Disturbia from 2007, it starred Shia LaBeouf. It was a perfect thriller. Sure, it was a horror thriller while a Simple Favor is I guess a comedy-thriller. Disturbia goes along perfectly on one linear path. Get evidence to convict a serial killer. There are tiny branches of plot that help the movie along or make our heroes path more complicated. In A Simple Favor, there are so many branches that extend from this movie`s main plot. A incest bastard child, child abuse, murder, arson, lesbian romance, affairs, after funeral sexy time. Everything I mentioned is a critical plot point that needs to happen so this film can have its outcome. It`s too much. This film`s ending is too much. Character actions don’t make sense at times. There are a lot of implied situations that could have been useful if someone just said it out loud to help some of the audience.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
NG89Sep 19, 2018
IF you don't mind the thriller>comedy bait&switch, ASF is surely entertaining and has its moments of suspense; an easy watch.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
SaraClementsOct 15, 2018
Suburban noir has become a big draw for book and film lovers alike. Ever since Amy Dunne declared “I’m so much happier now that I’m dead,” few have tried and failed to recreate Gone Girl’s genius. Comedy god Paul Feig’s newest film isSuburban noir has become a big draw for book and film lovers alike. Ever since Amy Dunne declared “I’m so much happier now that I’m dead,” few have tried and failed to recreate Gone Girl’s genius. Comedy god Paul Feig’s newest film is irresistible, but misses some steps on its way up to Gone Girl-level brilliance.

A Simple Favor follows the dark relationship between mom opposites Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) and Emily (Blake Lively). Stephanie, the single mommy vlogger, is quickly seduced by Emily’s rich lifestyle – in all her martini drinking, ’30s Marlene Dietrich glamour. When Emily disappears, Stephanie attempts to get to the bottom of what happened to her best friend – and whether Emily’s husband Sean (Henry Golding) had anything to do with it.

The film opens with Stephanie updating her vlog followers that Emily is still missing, five days since she asked Stephanie for “a simple favor” to pick up her son from school. The film then goes into flashback mode so she can explain to the audience what led up to Emily’s disappearance. Stephanie goes on her own investigation which involves her breaking into Emily’s work office, tracking down her parents, and paying a visit to the camp she spent her summers as a child.

Kendrick and Lively are both powerhouses here, with their conversations being the comedic highlight of the film. Kendrick’s Martha Stewart wannabe Stephanie embodies all of the cliches you can expect from a white mom. As the film goes on, Stephanie lets loose and, if you’re worried you’ll miss out on some Pitch Perfect Kendrick, Feig has you covered with Stephanie doing a hilarious rap. Lively shows here that she has a knack for the dramatic as the fashion PR executive. She exudes power and charm, with Emily’s matter-of-fact comedy delivered effortlessly. As for Henry Golding, he’s as hot and charming as he is in Crazy Rich Asians – what more do you need?

With a narrative full of noir elements, there are so many twists packed into the film’s two-hour running time. When you think you know where it’s going, Feig manages to hit the audience with more twists that make you unintentionally yell “what?!” at least 10 times along with the rest of the theatre crowd. All this leads to a conclusion to the Emily mystery that is nothing short of Feig style wackiness. However, having so many Hitchcockian twists coming at you so often and so quickly leads to a narrative that is more confusing than it is neat and tidy. To put it plainly: it’s an enjoyable, crazy mess. Its missteps can be attributed directly to the source material. Not to spoil anything, but there are certain choices made by Anna Kendrick’s character which would have been better off left to the source material because of how bizarre and “yikes!” they are.

Looking at Paul Feig’s filmography since Bridesmaids, it’s no surprise that he would eventually want to tackle a female-centric mystery thriller. To be expected from him, the film has many laughs, and surprisingly, they land and mesh well with the dark tone of the second half of the film. It’s twisted and raunchy, as all high budget Lifetime movies should be.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
DawdlingPoetNov 25, 2021
This is sometimes categorised as a comedy film but I'd first like to say that, to me, its more of a mystery drama. The main character is a bit of a light head type but I didn't, personally, find that aspect especially amusing, although theThis is sometimes categorised as a comedy film but I'd first like to say that, to me, its more of a mystery drama. The main character is a bit of a light head type but I didn't, personally, find that aspect especially amusing, although the main plot about the strange disappearance of her new friend did intrigue me.

There are a number of plot twists and it kept me guessing. I thought it was quite engrossing and Anna Kendrick gave a particularly good performance as said main character (Stephanie Smothers). So, overall I'd say this is not what it may first appear to be and its a good watch if you like a mystery drama type watch. Yes, I'd recommend this film to others.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
milloy9Jul 18, 2020
I enjoyed the film but did lose some interest at points. The ending was a little dragged out but overall I enjoyed the film. Anna kendricks is fantastic in this low key!
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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