I had originally not gotten to watch A Simple Favor in theaters but watched it on streaming. When I saw the sequel was out, I was looking forward to it, hoping it would bring the same twisted, dark  humor as the original and it delivers on that promise, highlighting the toxic relationship between Stephanie and Emily while still giving us another fun mystery.

Another Simple Favor is a black comedy mystery film directed by Paul Feig and written by Jessica Sharzer and Laeta Kalogridis. In the film, it is five years after the events of A Simple Favor and Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) has gone on to become a successful crime vlogger and written a book about Emily (Blake Lively). But she is soon surprised by Emily getting out of prison on appeal and subsequently inviting her to be the matron of honor at her wedding in Capri to wealthy Italian Dante Versano (Michele Morrone) who has ties to the mafia. They are joined by Sean (Henry Golding), Emily’s ex-husband who is bitter and her son Nicky (Ian Ho). The wedding party also includes Margaret (Elizabeth Perkins), Emily’s mother and her aunt Linda (Allison Janney) along with Portia (Elena Sofia Ricci), Dante’s mother. When both Sean and Dante are killed, one after the other, Stephanie is accused of the crimes as the last person to see Dante and must discover the truth. The film also features Alex Newell as Vicky, Stephanie’s agent, Andrew Rannells as Darren, Bashir Salahuddin as Detective Summerville, and Joshua Satine as Miles, Stephanie’s son. 

If you watched the original film, you won’t be surprised by the mystery format. Much like the first film, this movie has tons of twists and turns, unexpected truths with tons of intrigue. The red herrings give Stephanie the opportunity to shine as she tracks down the true clues and investigates. And just like the first movie, there is a dynamic ending that reveals all to the audience. 

While I like the intrigue and mystery of the film, it is the dark and twisted humor that makes this film shine. There is a toxic relationship between Emily/Hope and Stephanie. The witty and sharp dialogue between them is hilarious. The scenes with Linda and Margaret add to the comedic moments as do Stephanie’s moments with her agent Vicky. Sean is especially funny in his scenes as a drunk and bitter man unable to let go of the two women who were part of his life. It is the dark humor and awkward moments that make this film as funny as the original movie. 

In no small part, what creates the most humor is the acting between Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively. They both have pitch perfect comedic timing both individually but have a fantastic chemistry between them, sharp but also allowing for campy and warm moments as well. Anna Kendrick is sharp and witty but also awkwardly funny as Stephanie. Blake Lively is incredible as Emily/Hope as she is able to go from serious to hilarious in a heartbeat. Blake infuses her role with menace but also a touch of insanity and whimsy. Her ability to be whimsical is played off well against Anna Kendrick’s character of Stephanie, who is far more confident in this new film. Henry Golding is perfectly bitter and funny as Sean. Ian Ho as Nicky is just as sharp and intelligent as a teenager. Allison Janney is fabulous as aunt Linda, her wit and humor equal to the stars. And Elena Sofia Ricci adds menace and darkness to her role as Portia, the perfect foil to Blake Lively. 

There are a few opportunities for improvement, however. For one, the mystery plot is highly predictable, even as the writers leave red herrings, you can figure out the real truth. And the sequel has a lot of similarities to the original, enough that it is not hard to pick up on the intrigue. Finally, I love Andrew Rannells humor in the original and while we get a few moments, he does not get anywhere near enough screen time as a secondary character. This is made up by others but I would have liked to have seen more. Ultimately, though, the sequel is as good as the original, especially as a comedy.

If you liked A Simple Favor, you will like Another Simple Favor. It has all the charm, toxic behaviors, dark comedy and intrigue of the first movie, with great big helpings of the brilliant acting of Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, surrounded by talented secondary characters like Allison Janney, Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Alex Newell, Ian Ho, Elena Sofia Ricci, and Elizabeth Perkins. The dark comedy makes for another fun mystery for viewers.

Rating: 4 out of 5 martinis. 

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