2018’s A Simple favour was one of the best surprises of that year. A suspenseful and often funny thriller with two excellent central performances by Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick. Those two reprise their roles and are re-united with director Paul Feig for this sequel.
Now freed from jail Emily (Lively) has gone to Capri to marry an Italian businessman, and, in order to re-ignite her friendship with Stephanie (Kendrick) she asks her to be maid of honour. However, the festivities are interrupted by a murder.
It was pleasing to see the pair return, and Kendrick, in particular, is a joy, her experiences giving her a more acerbic edge. There are enough twists in the story to keep it interesting and there is solid support from Alison Janney, Elizabeth Perkins and Elena Sofia Ricci. However, whilst Jessica Sharzer’s and Laeta Kaligridis’ screenplay has some funny lines, it lacks the precision of the original. It sags a bit towards the end at which time, any pretence of realism has been abandoned.
The final scene sets up the possibility of a third instalment but the lacklustre reception this film has received makes that unlikely.
Another Simple Favour is available exclusively on Amazon Prime.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10