A Simple Favor is about a young, widowed single mother named
Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) who spends her days running a cooking vlog
and being active in her son’s class activities.
Meanwhile, Emily Nelson (Blake Lively), a stylish PR director for a
fashion company with an I-don’t-give-a-damn attitude, has a son that belongs in
the same class as Stephanie’s son. When their sons persistently beg for a playdate, the moms relent, which entails them to hang
out. Soon, the two become best friends,
and whenever their sons play, they would drink and gossip. One day, Emily goes missing, and the worried Stephanie decides to start her own independent investigation.
I’ve always adored Anna Kendrick
and Blake Lively (especially the latter), and their teamup in this film is a
delight. To be honest, Kendrick here is basically
just playing the usual zany, sassy, semi-awkward character that she typically plays in her
past movies. She drops her usual zings. She cracks wise. But such personality is only perfect for the
kind of protagonist that this story requires.
It’s a mystery story that goes to
crazy places. It has the WTF factor, and
it pushes the envelope just enough before it reaches the point where the audience gets provoked and go say,
“This is stupid.” The twists and turns
aren’t necessarily clever, but they work.
I thought it was a fun, absorbing mystery. In addition, I’m simply a sucker for stories
with unconventional sleuths, which this film is an example of.
It also helps that it’s not just
a straight-up mystery thriller, but a black comedy as well. Thus, its tone harmonizes well with the wacky
plot.
Overall, A Simple Favor is a witty, eccentric mystery film that may be rough
around the edges but still a fabulous offering of the genre.
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