Overview
A seemingly simple friendship spirals into a web of deception and dark secrets.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- campy
- stylish
- girls night
- mystery movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film stylish, twisty, darkly funny, and elevated by Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively’s performances, despite its deliberately outlandish plotting.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The disappearance unfolds through school-parent networks, polished domestic spaces, martinis, secrets, and female rivalry.
Stephanie’s investigation continually changes the apparent meaning of Emily’s disappearance and the people around her.
Critics specifically described the film as stylish, self-aware, unexpectedly cruel, and campy, while the narrative mixes malice with broad humor.
Stephanie’s helpful single-mother persona and Emily’s upper-class sophistication both become masks within the mystery.
Films like A Simple Favor, and why
Gone Girl
Shared twist-heavy mystery structure, darkly comic tone, and women-centered secrets
The Girl on the Train
Shared suburban intrigue, unreliable appearances, and mordant humor surrounding a disappearance
The Last of Sheila
Shared glossy crime mystery, campy tonal shifts, and charismatic female performances
The Nice Guys
Shared stylish comedy-thriller blend, escalating deception, and playful genre self-awareness
Movie Details
- Director
- Paul Feig
- Release Date
- 2018-09-13
- Runtime
- 117 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (4705)
Cast
- Anna Kendrick
- Blake Lively
- Henry Golding
- Rupert Friend
- Linda Cardellini
- Bashir Salahuddin
- Danielle Bourgon
- Kelly McCormack
- Andrew Rannells
- Ian Ho
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A Simple Favor about?
- A cheerful cooking vlogger’s search for her vanished new friend turns suburban motherhood into a stylish, booze-soaked maze of deception.
- What is A Simple Favor like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Simple Favor as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is A Simple Favor violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in A Simple Favor as moderate.
- What did critics think of A Simple Favor?
- Critics broadly found the film stylish, twisty, darkly funny, and elevated by Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively’s performances, despite its deliberately outlandish plotting.
- Which films are like A Simple Favor?
- Films with a similar feel include Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, The Last of Sheila, and The Nice Guys.
- How long is A Simple Favor?
- A Simple Favor runs 117 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Simple Favor?
- In United States, A Simple Favor streams on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel.
