Directed by:
Paul FeigScreenplay:
Jessica SharzerCinematography:
John SchwartzmanComposer:
Theodore ShapiroCast:
Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding, Rupert Friend, Linda Cardellini, Andrew Rannells, Kelly McCormack, Bashir Salahuddin, Melissa O'Neil (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
The movie centers around Stephanie (Anna Kendrick), a mommy vlogger who seeks to uncover the truth behind her best friend Emily's (Blake Lively) sudden disappearance from their small town. Stephanie is joined by Emily's husband Sean (Henry Golding) in this stylish thriller filled with twists and betrayals, secrets and revelations, love and loyalty, murder and revenge. (Lionsgate US)
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Reviews (8)
I consider movies with Blake Lively my private guilty pleasures. I'll check out Darcey Bell's book, but I definitely wouldn't be interested in a thriller like this without the movie. However, as a spectacle based on the contrasting talents of Blake and Anna Kendrick, it was a treat. A treat for the eyes.
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Sometimes things just work out. The sweetly absent-minded Anna, the incredibly attractive fox Blake, the accurately underrated curiosity, the successful balance between serious and purely entertaining intrigue, and a good mood that helped me ignore the shaky motifs and enjoy the story. Simple Favor relies on the contrast of the two female leads, which becomes blurred under the weight of the events, while the script humorously plays with the rejoinders and the findings of the beginning and doesn’t stop until the last scene, which borders comedic insanity, but completes that game mode more or less successfully. Please, more of Anna and Blake in the cinema, and it could be with fewer clothes on. 75%
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Of particular note is that A Simple Favor teeters on the edge of serious thriller while not shying away from using a self-parodying approach in some passages. The whole thing just doesn't take itself entirely seriously, which is appealing and gives the whole film a nice touch of light playfulness. On the other hand, the thriller storyline with its slightly mysterious elements works quite reliably in its right, even if it is a bit predictable (which I personally didn't mind too much, because this simply isn't a hardcore thriller like Gone Girl). As a result, A Simple Favor is a viewer-friendly and, given the central theme, quite rewarding affair. Thumbs up for the approach taken, the excellent Anna Kendrick, and the unprecedentedly gorgeous Blake Lively (she doesn't look as good in any other film as she does here). "Brotherfucker!"
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A non-alcoholic version of Gone Girl for a less demanding or, if you want, weekend audience. The lightness and briskness is taken care of by the geeky Anna Kendrick and the sexy Blake Lively. Both are excellent, it's just the script and the plot that are questionable. That said, as a light crime-comedy it’s still bearable.
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An inoffensive female thriller from the hard-working Paul Feig, but unfortunately for me a rip-off of the much better Gone Girl. Anna Kendrick is such a cute dork in almost every movie and I don’t mind, opposite her is Blake Lively playing a cynical bitch here and again she is insanely hot. The film is well paced, offers the occasional humorous interlude and is suspenseful in places. It also offers a few twists, but they won't surprise those who have seen Gone Girl. Too bad it was too predictable for me and it didn't offer anything violent or subversive, but I suspect it is aimed primarily at a female audience, so that's fine. As a light thriller one-shot it works. 65%
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