All eyes are on Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick this week as Another Simple Favor premieres in the UK on Amazon Prime. The sequel to A Simple Favor follows the complicated friendship between Stephanie Smothers (Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Lively) as they travel to Italy together for Nelson’s wedding. However, in true thriller/comedy style, Smothers suspects Nelson’s good will is part of an elaborate plan for revenge.
A Simple Favor received rave reviews upon first release, with an 84% approval rating and critical reception of B+ with movie critics. ‘The lip-smacking, acid drops of malice in the latest film from Paul Feig (Bridesmaids) makes this unexpectedly cruel comedy as intoxicating as the mid-afternoon martinis swilled by the two central characters,’ Wendy Ide of The Guardian said in her review.
So, how does the sequel measure up?
Is Another Simple Favor worth watching? This is what the reviews say…
Despite some naysayers among the movie critic crowd, Another Simple Favor is already racking up an impressive reception. A slight drop on Rotten Tomatoes sees a 71% approval rating so far, but it’s worth noting that only 78 critics have watched it so far as the film has only been out one singular day.
For The Guardian’s Adrian Horton, the film earned three stars. ‘Another Simple Favor attempts some plot twists better left unsaid and forgotten,’ she says. ‘But even overstaying its welcome at two hours, soaring past the boundaries of taste and reaching the astral plane of should-be offensive absurdity cannot derail the experience of watching these toxic frenemies back in action. It may not be the next chapter we needed, but more money-mandated sequels could stand to have this little self-seriousness.’
Similarly, The Independent gave the sequel three stars dubbing it slightly too silly to warrant a higher rating. ‘Certainly, there’s a sense that Another Simple Favour is short-changing its own material,’ Clarisse Loughrey wrote. ‘Sharzer and Kalogridis float a critique of the true crime industrial complex past our eyes, only to pull their punches at the crucial moment. But clearly, Another Simple Favour has no aspirations beyond being a quick morsel. And a morsel it is.’
Of course, one can’t fault the wardrobe – Nelson’s attire particularly one to be coveted. And with a nominated at SXSW film festival this year, it’s certainly not one to miss. Is it worth watching then? We’d say so!