A Simple Favor
released 2018
www.ink2quill.com

“A Simple Favor” is an American, sinister type comedy, thriller film produced by Jason Cloth, Mike Drake, Paul Feig, Jessie Henderson and Paris Kassiddokostas-Latsis. It is based on a novel of the same name written by Darcey Bell and the screenplay was written by Jessica Sharzer. It was directed by Paul Feig and stars Anna Kendrick, Ian Ho, Joshua Satine, Glenda Braganza, Andrew Rannells, Kelly McCormack, Aparna Nancheria, Jiah Mavji, Ava LaFramboise, Blake Lively, Henry Golding, Dustin Milligan, Danielle Bourgon, Gia Sandhu, Lila Ye, Zach Smadu, Andrew Moodie, Sugenja Sri, Rupert Friend, Patti Harrison, Jason Oliveira, Noorin Goolamgaus, Katherine Cullen, Bashir Salahuddin, Howard Hoover, Ronnie Rowe, Melody Johnson, Melissa O’Neil, Eric Johnson, Linda Cardellini, Paul Jurewicz, Sarah Baker, Jean Smart, Roger Dunn, Allison Wilson-Forbes, Jeremy Anthony, Daisy Fernando, Cindy Day and many more.

A Simple Favor IMDb webpage

“A Simple Favor” starts off as a simple enough tale of an recently widowed, influencer, housewife Stephanie Smothers, played by Anna Kendrick, who is asked a simple favor by her new best friend Emily Nelson, played by Blake Lively. After that favor her life spirals into chaos that includes a murder investigation by police in which she is a suspect. We watch as the world of this kooky housewife turns chaotic and since she is resourceful she decides to investigate the murder herself and take her followers along for the ride. This eventually makes her vlog incredibly popular and she goes from mild success with her vlog to immense success thanks to the murder investigation she undertakes.

One way that this film really succeeded was in its originality and quirkiness. It has a unique charm that is really all its own. The character of Stephanie is simply bonkers. Her life seems normal on the surface but when you realize that she is getting over the death of her husband and brother/lover you realize that everything about her is not all normal. Al of the characters in this film are bonkers so when you laugh at what they do it is really uncomfortable.

Another element I liked about the film was the investigation itself. I love films that lead us, the viewer, down a twisted path where nothing is what it appears at first. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was not the only master of this skill and the writers of this novel and screenplay demonstrate that. It starts off where Stephanie has to investigate the background of someone she doesn’t really know. And that person, Emily, ends up having a twisted, criminal and sad background. The story takes unexpected twists and turns and its great. The funny thing is though that Stephanie seems to be ahead of the police who do a quite mediocre job for parts of the investigation. I don’t know how realistic that is but movies are all about our of suspending disbelief, so that’s fine. It works.

This film is a surprise from the very beginning. It will have you laugh, and then feel uncomfortable for laughing, and have you think, “I should not laugh at that”. And the kookiness of Stephanie will keep you from flipping to another film. This film is guilty fun.

I just have one question to pose the viewer. With regards to the car crash of Stephanie’s husband and brother/lover, she seems to have no sadness toward that event. There is a huge story behind that pivotal event but I think that there is so much more to it for us, the viewer. We have to read between the lines on that event. Just think about it.

John Ink2Quill

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