Based on the novel by Darcey Bell, A Simple Favor (2018) is directed by Paul Feig and features a script from Jessica Sharzer. It stars Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Ian Ho, Joshua Satine, Rupert Friend, Bashir Salahuddin, Linda Cardellini, Jean Smart, Kelly McCormack, Aparna Nancherla, Dustin Milligan, Danielle Bourgon, and Gia Sandhu. The film follows Stephanie (Kendrick), a single “mommy vlogger” whose routine life is thrown for a loop after she befriends Emily (Lively), the wealthy yet mysterious mother of her son’s classmate. One day, Emily asks Stephanie to pick her son up from school. Stephanie accepts, but it soon becomes clear that something is wrong. As days pass and Emily is nowhere to be found, Stephanie takes it upon herself to solve the juicy mystery of her friend’s disappearance. 

The two leads are well-cast in their respective roles and successfully sell the idea that their characters can be strong friends despite having foiled personalities. Yes, they’re nothing alike, and the script makes that abundantly clear, but instead of being a point of contention, it draws them to one another. These are two people we’d never typically see as friends, but the script earns their connection by presenting their friendship as something born because of their differences, not in spite of them. 

Kendrick is great in this kind of overly energetic single mom role. Despite the fact that the character can occasionally be a tad too silly, the script does a great job of balancing her as both a comedic and dramatic force. As for Lively, she nails her character’s cool, dangerous, and seductive charms. Each character, in a way, represents one half of the film’s clashing genre – their unlikely friendship perfectly paralleling the mismatched tones. When Stephanie is onscreen, the film works as a comedic take on the world’s obsession with true crime. When Emily takes the reins, the film works more like a twisty page-turner. When they share the screen, the film achieves a tone I don’t typically encounter. Director Paul Feig understands that a happy medium between comedy and danger is often (but not always) sensuality. Through this, the film presents its inherent themes of female empowerment in a subtle and unique way. It seemingly lands on the idea that a female’s true strength doesn’t come from her ability to do everything a man can or her willingness to do everything a man won’t. Instead, it comes from her ability to balance both. The foiled nature of these two also leads to a lot of comedic back-and-forths that are both clever and unpredictable. Sure, the comedy is sometimes juvenile in classic Paul Feig fashion, but it fits this film much better than something like Ghostbusters (2016). 

The film’s tone resembles a soap opera, but I mean that in the best way possible—like an elevated soap opera. From beginning to end, the film constantly raises questions, answers them, raises new ones, and then reframes them. Information is rolled out at the perfect pace and sometimes even feels like a masterclass in holding a viewer’s attention. This is the case throughout the film, but it nevertheless loses steam during the third act. The tonal tiptoe during the first two acts creates a sense of uncertainty regarding how much is at stake or in what direction the story will go, but naturally loses this feeling of intrigue once its aspirations become clear. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a strong third act with plenty of surprises, but the film is clearly at its best when holding its cards close to its chest. 

Overall, this is a unique take on the comedic-thriller subgenre that features a tight script, intense chemistry between its two leads, and strong direction from Paul Feig. It’s a soap opera-y, female-centric, and often goofy take on the country’s obsession with true crime that will surely alienate a specific portion of the male audience (for immature reasons). Other than that, there’s not much to complain about here. It’s not necessarily high art, but it was clearly made with an uncommon attention to detail. It may not be for everyone, but if it’s for you, I guarantee you’ll have a great time. B