I finally got around to watching Another Simple Favor, the sequel to the delightfully unhinged 2018 hit A Simple Favor, and I’ve got thoughts! Streaming on Prime Video as of May 1, 2025, this follow-up brings back Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively as the chaotic besties Stephanie Smothers and Emily Nelson, this time trading Connecticut suburbs for the sun-soaked cliffs of Capri, Italy. Directed by Paul Feig, the film premiered at SXSW back in March and has been stirring up mixed reactions ever since. After diving into this whirlwind of murder, betrayal, and fabulous outfits, I can see why—it’s a frothy, campy ride that’s equal parts fun and frustrating. Let’s unpack what worked, what didn’t, and whether this sequel lives up to the original’s twisted charm!
A Glamorous Setup with Familiar Faces
Another Simple Favor picks up five years after the first film, where Stephanie (Kendrick), now a true-crime vlogger and author, has written a book about her wild history with Emily (Lively), the glamorous con-artist who ended up in prison for murdering her twin sister. But surprise—Emily’s out of jail, thanks to her new fiancé, Dante (Michele Morrone), a rich Italian businessman with shady ties. Emily crashes Stephanie’s book signing and demands she be her maid of honor at her lavish Capri wedding. Naturally, Stephanie says yes (after some light blackmail), and we’re off to Italy for a wedding that quickly spirals into chaos with murders, mafia drama, and long-lost family secrets.
The cast is stacked with returning players like Henry Golding as Sean, Emily’s sulky ex-husband, and Ian Ho as their son Nicky, plus new faces like Allison Janney as Emily’s scheming Aunt Linda and Elizabeth Perkins as her mother, Margaret. The setup promises more of the catty chemistry and wild twists that made the first film such a guilty pleasure, and in some ways, it delivers—but not without some serious stumbles.
The Good: Chemistry, Costumes, and Camp
Let’s start with what works, because there’s plenty to enjoy here. Kendrick and Lively are still a dynamite duo, and their banter is the heart of the movie. Stephanie’s evolved from a naive mommy vlogger to a more cynical sleuth, constantly side-eyeing Emily’s every move, while Emily leans into her role as a manipulative queen bee with a knack for chaos. Their dynamic is sharper this time—less awe, more suspicion—and it’s a joy to watch them trade barbs. Lively, in particular, is magnetic, serving up some of her best work as Emily struts around in jaw-dropping outfits, from spiked stilettos to a wedding dress that’s practically a character itself. Kendrick keeps up, bringing a sassy edge to Stephanie that had me chuckling at her snarky comebacks.
The Capri setting is gorgeous, with sweeping shots of the island’s cliffs and azure waters that make you want to book a vacation ASAP. The costumes, designed by Renee Ehrlich Kalfus, are a total highlight—I gasped at some of Lively’s looks, which perfectly match the film’s over-the-top vibe. And speaking of over-the-top, the movie fully embraces its campy side, leaning into absurd twists like secret triplets, mafia rivalries, and a plot to frame Stephanie for murder. It’s ridiculous in the best way, often playing like a soap opera with a wink. When it’s firing on all cylinders—like during a citrus-colored rehearsal lunch where family secrets explode—I was having a blast.
The Not-So-Good: Plot Overload and Missed Opportunities
But here’s where things get messy. While the first film balanced its twists with a tight focus on Stephanie and Emily’s relationship, Another Simple Favor bites off way more than it can chew. The plot is a tangle of murders (Sean, Dante, and an FBI agent all bite the dust), secret siblings (turns out Emily’s a triplet, not a twin, with the third sister, Charity, raised by Aunt Linda as a killer), and mafia drama that never quite gels. By the time we get a 10-minute exposition dump near the end, explaining everything from Dante’s secret romance with a rival mob heir to Linda’s scheme to replace Emily with Charity, I was more exhausted than shocked.
The pacing drags, too. At two hours, the movie feels overlong, with subplots—like Stephanie’s son Miles at summer camp—that go nowhere. The second half loses the thread, piling on twists that feel more silly than clever. I missed the subversive strangeness of the first film; this one often feels self-consciously campy, like it’s trying too hard to top the original’s chaos. And while I loved the Italian backdrop, some of the drone shots of Capri are overdone and dizzying, pulling me out of the story.
Another letdown is how the new characters don’t quite land. Janney and Perkins are fun as Emily’s dysfunctional family, but they’re underused, stuck in a plot that doesn’t give them room to shine. Golding’s Sean is a comedic highlight early on—he’s a miserable drunk now, and I laughed out loud at his scenes—but he exits too soon. The men in general feel like props here, existing just to move the plot along, which I didn’t mind too much (the women are the stars!), but it made the story feel thinner than it should.
Does It Live Up to the Original?
The original A Simple Favor was a sleeper hit because it was so unexpected—a mommy noir that poked fun at itself while delivering real suspense. This sequel loses some of that magic by playing it too safe, even as it cranks up the absurdity. It’s less surprising, more predictable, and lacks the emotional stakes that made the first film’s twists hit hard. I also couldn’t shake the feeling that this didn’t need to be a sequel—the story feels like a retread of the same “Emily’s a schemer, Stephanie’s a detective” dynamic, just in a fancier setting.
That said, it’s not a total miss. The Rotten Tomatoes score, sitting at 71% as of March, reflects the mixed reactions—some love its campy fun, others find it a letdown. I fall somewhere in the middle. It’s a breezy, escapist watch with moments of brilliance, but it doesn’t quite capture the intoxicating weirdness of the first. Fans of the original will likely enjoy seeing Stephanie and Emily back in action, especially with all the callbacks to the first film (Emily joking about Stephanie sleeping with Sean again had me cackling). But if you’re looking for something as fresh and daring as the first, you might be left wanting more.
Final Thoughts
Another Simple Favor is a sun-drenched, stylish sequel that’s at its best when it lets Kendrick and Lively do their thing. The costumes are to die for, the setting is stunning, and the campy twists are silly in a way that’s often delightful. But a bloated plot, uneven pacing, and a lack of the original’s subversive edge keep it from reaching the same heights. It’s like a bottomless mimosa at brunch—a little too much, a little too bubbly, but still hard to resist.
If you loved the first film, it’s worth a watch for the chemistry and visuals alone. Just don’t expect it to outdo its predecessor. I’m curious to hear what others think—did you find it as fun as I did, or were you let down? Let’s chat about it!
