Now here’s a black comedy with a twist!
A Simple Favor is the story of a mom vlogger (Anna Kendrick) who tries to investigate the disappearance of her rich best friend (Blake Lively). The script is packed with surprises, and that makes for a wildly entertaining ride that never goes the route you expect. Naturally, these kind of twist-heavy movies tend to go off the rails towards the end, but Favor is kept afloat by a pair of astonishing performances.
Yes, Kendrick and Lively are spectacular here. The former plays the small-town control freak exceptionally well; her performance is packed with awkward ticks and hysterical physical comedy. Lively is also quite excellent as the socialite who goes missing, but she’s somewhat overshadowed by her co-star (who admittedly gets more screen-time). When the two powerhouse ladies do get to share some scenes, their interplay is filled with snappy one-liners and amusing banter.
Crazy Rich Asians star Henry Golding also has a notable supporting turn, but he comes across as extremely unlikeable and one-dimensional. I’m guessing the script did him no favors, but he still doesn’t succeed in adding any depth to the character.
Conclusion
A Simple Favor is a delightfully wicked black comedy that’s both stylish and entertaining.
For someone who usually gets sweet roles, Blake really nailed this one. In fact I like her in “bad-ass don’t give a fudge” kinda roles (such as this) more than the usual ones. And well done Kendrick!
Oh and before I forget, Henry Golding? Yeah no.
Yes Lively definitely needs more roles like this. Glad we agree on this one 😛