Paul Feig – best known for Freak & Geeks, Bridesmaids (or if you’re me, as Mr. Pool from Sabrina, The Teenage Witch) – directed and produced thriller A Simple Favor starring Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect) & Blake Lively (Gossip Girl). There are many genre’s this exciting film could fall under, from Crime to Drama to Comedy and even Suspense-Comedy. Regardless of how you label it, this is a movie you want to see.
Of course Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, as Emily and Stephanie respectively, are absolutely fantastic in these perfectly cast roles. A Simple Favor tells the story of “a mommy blogger who seeks to uncover the truth behind her best friend’s sudden disappearance from their small town.” With the tone of a Gone Girl-esque noir and the awkward ramblings that are only adorable when Anna Kendrick and Emma Stone do it on screen, A Simple Favor keeps the audience guessing from beginning to end.
While spending most of the movie wondering what’s true, what’s real, and what happened, your train of thought is often derailed by the hilariously memorable supporting cast, such as the incredibly sexy Henry Golding (hot off his Crazy Rich Asians tour) as Emily’s husband. A good chunk of comedy comes from the other moms played by Kelly McCormack (Killjoys), Andrew Rannells (Girls, Book of Mormon), and Aparna Nancherla, as well as the somehow bubbly Detective Summerville played by Bashir Salahuddin (GLOW). The stellar cast balances comedy and suspense so beautifully, making this film a truly fun experience.
Not one to focus on fashion, I was truly impressed by the clothing on this film. The stark differences created by the costume team, with Emily’s high-end women’s menswear and Stephanie’s (possibly homemade) affordable style, expressed wordlessly the contrasting worlds Emily and Stephanie live in.
Although it’s unnecessary to see the movie on the big screen, A Simple Favor might be the perfect girl’s night out film for 2018. So get some martinis and hit the theaters because A Simple Favor opens September 14th.
Watch the trailer for A Simple Favor here!
— Yael Tygiel