Review - A Simple Favor on Netflix

Released in 2018, A Simple Favor, starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, might be said to be a Walter Mitty story at heart with a touch of female vengence.

Kendrick plays Stephanie, a widowed, single mother in Connecticut who works as a vlogger when she meets long-legged, gorgeous blond Emily, played by Lively, who is everything Stephanie is not, but would love to be.

Glamorous Emily is a woman who has it all—a successful career, beauty, sex appeal, and a loving family.

Stephanie makes Emily her new best friend, and the good times roll. 

One day, Emily simply disappears. Stephanie decides to find out what happened to her, and that is a journey yielding some shocking surprises for our wallflower.

MOVIE DETAILS

Despite the ending scene epilogue that tells what each character is now doing, this isn't based on a true story, but on a novel, A Simple Favor by Darcy Bell.

Directed by Paul Feig,the cast is rounded out by Henry Golding as Sean Townsend, Emily's husband, Linda Cardellini, Dustin Milligan, Ava LaFramboise, Rupert Friend, Jean Smart, Joshua Satine, and Eric Johnson.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Kendrick seems to be typecast as the woman who is mostly ignored by those around her.

In just about each movie with her cast in that role, she reaches a tipping point that propels her into assertiveness and sometimes outright violence.

A SIMPLE FAVOR 2

In March of this year, Amazon MGM Studio gave the greenlight to a sequel to the movie which will bring back Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively in their respective roles.

From what I gather, the sequel takes place in Capri, Italy, and the plot revolves around Emily's plan to marry a wealthy Italian businessman. This story too will probably be twisted and include murder, secrets, and betrayal. 

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Let me just say that this twisted, convoluted movie is an "underdog wins" flick you'll enjoy.

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