Another Simple Favor | SXSW 2025 Film Review

When we last left Stephanie Smothers and Emily Nelson (Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively), the tables had turned. Emily had been ravaged by Darren’s car (joyous comic relief Andrew Rannells) and sent away to prison for murder at Stephanie’s hands, while Stephanie was now a successful, in-demand vlogger with nowhere to go but up. As Paul Feig’s sequel, Another Simple Favor, kicks off, Emily is curiously freed from prison and surprises Stephanie with the opportunity of a lifetime to be her maid-of-honor in her next wedding in Italy to the mysterious Dante (Michele Morrone). Of course, it’s a short opportunity if your lifetime could be sliced up by a bit of revenge.

Hitting the ground running is an understatement, as we transition to Capri, Italy for the most lavishly staged nuptials since Crazy Rich Asians, and a full reuniting with the cast as Emily and Stephanie’s ex, Sean (Henry Golding, getting to have a little fun this time), arrives in full drunken stupor. What transpires next is chock full of murder, debauchery, ridiculousness, hilarity, and Hitchcockian turns.

Another Simple Favor is one of the few sequels that can keep up with its original; but with Paul Feig at the helm, no one is surprised. Feig utilizes an impeccable crew – from costume designer (Renée Kalfus), production set designer (Martin Whist), and of course the wonderful film editing (Brent White) that immerses you in this romantic, sexy, and chaotic mystery of turns.

A loaded cast led by Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, who return with the same spunky attitude we all came to love in A Simple Favor. Lively’s allure is undeniable, as every inch from heel to that hair captivates audience attention. Juxtaposed with Kendrick’s character, Stephanie, that gets mistaken at every turn for being a staff server in sneakers, the witty comedy hits 10 and the dynamic duo has hit absolute fire.

Sure, there are moments of ridiculousness – the plot is not complete perfection here and how we get to the end might seem absurd at times. But when Allison Janney and Elizabeth Perkins show up, you know it is going to be the RIGHT kind of ridiculous. Another Simple Favor is Feig’s first sequel film and the zestful and spicy supporting characters have just as much uniqueness to them as the rest.

Set in the gorgeous landscape of Italy (primarily Rome and Capri), every scene is impeccably designed and twists in a thematic red consistently through the film. Despite the deep blue, crashing ocean waves and Italian culture at the centerfold, you gleam just how rich and isolated this locale is. Incredibly subtle foreshadowing is visible when you look through Feig’s lens, but not all is what it seems.

It is hard to deny the biggest expectation to meet is top-tier fashion. Every character (except Stephanie, who sports every mom’s best) is dressed head-to-toe in glamour, collaborating with Renée to integrate personality into wardrobe. Twists, turns, glamour, and murder; a perfect blend of degeneracy and snakiness.