A Simple Favor keeps you on your toes, as its many twists and turns are paired with an equal amount of unexpected comedic moments, to make a tone that is unique.
Dedicated class mom and vlogger Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) befriends mysterious high-profile PR director Emily (Blake Lively) through the friendship of their sons. One day Emily asks Stephanie if she can pick up her son after school; however, Emily disappears.
A Simple Favor is consistently entertaining through its compelling performances, fun tone, and intriguing story. The result is a mystery film that feels like no other. However, the film commits more to keeping the audience engaged rather than weaving an intricate mystery.
Good mystery narratives are often marked by the consumer’s ability to revisit the story and be able to notice the clues that lead to the resolution, such as HBO’s recent series Sharp Objects. This is not the case in A Simple Favor. While Stephanie’s process in uncovering the mystery is interesting, she often stumbles onto clues accidentally.
It is possible to predict the conclusion with the little information given. However, without subtle clues throughout the film, the answer is consequently surprising and shocking. This is not necessarily an awful result, but this does distance the audience, not allowing the viewers to take part in the solving of the mystery.
A Simple Favor does an excellent job in creating a tense atmosphere. This is largely due to the music choices as well as the visually interesting sets and locations. While there are a handful of intriguing shots, some with interesting uses of reflections, as a whole, the cinematography is a bit dull.
Instead of visually feeling like a mystery, A Simple Favor is instead shot and edited like a comedy. This is likely because of director Paul Feig, notable for comedies such as Bridesmaids and Spy. The more comedy-like cinematography does heighten the many comedic moments; however, it detracts from the more suspenseful scenes. This is particularly disappointing considering the interesting style of the film’s trailers.
A Simple Favor forgoes the more typical low-light with muted colors ambiance of most mystery narratives and is instead well-lit and filled with color. Most scenes in this film take place during the day, helping to make the story feel more real. Stephanie mostly feels like a real person, partially due to Anna Kendrick’s signature awkward charm, and this visual choice helps the story to feel like something that could happen to an average person.
Stephanie’s backstory feels extreme and not fully justified within the story. However, her arc is incredibly effective. Stephanie’s friendship with Emily and subsequent experience in trying to solve the mystery proves to be an important journey for Stephanie. Her growth throughout the movie is evident, yet appropriately gradual.
Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively’s performances are A Simple Favor’s greatest strength. Kendrick’s grounded Stephanie is perfectly paired with her complete opposite in Lively’s captivating Emily. However, many of the standout scenes feature the supporting characters, with particularly great performances by Andrew Rannells and Linda Cardellini.
A Simple Favor is not the perfect mystery movie, yet it is perfectly fun. It does not force itself to fit into conventions of the mystery genre, and instead becomes something unique, never sacrificing laughs for thrills or vice versa.
Grade: A-