In Just an Afternoon, the Lives of Two Moms Become Intertwined

Anna Kendrick (left) and Blake Lively in "A Simple Favor"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Over the last few years, books and films have given us several thrillers involving a missing person.  We’ve had “Gone Girl,” a novel by Gillian Flynn, which was made into a movie by David Fincher; “The Girl on the Train,” a novel by Paula Hawkins, which was made into a movie by Tate Taylor; this summer's psychological techno-thriller, “Searching,” from Aneesh Chaganty; and “The Woman in the Window,” a novel by A.J. Finn, which will be adapted into a film by Joe Wright in October 2019.  While some of these stories may be more predictable than others, it’s still kind of hard not to have your curiosity peak with this type of narrative.

Director Paul Feig now brings us a mystery-thriller in the vein of these aforementioned films and books with “A Simple Favor,” a wicked good time of a movie that has two magnetic lead performances and equal measures of suspense and dark humor.

Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) is a vlogger and single mother living in a Connecticut suburb.  One day, when she picks her son up from school, she meets a mother named Emily Nelson (Blake Lively), who leads a life of riches and works a high-profile job in the city.  While the two have drinks at Emily’s home that afternoon, they become friends.  When Emily vanishes, Stephanie will try to figure out the circumstances that led to her friend's disappearance.

Kendrick proves to be perfect for her role, as her real-life bubbly personality fits well with the character of a squeaky-clean, eager-to-help mother.  The role allows Kendrick to display her comical sensibilities that are always endearing to watch, but it also lets her garnish that wit with a darker tinge as the story becomes more twisty.  This is an entertaining departure for Kendrick as we see her character's normal life take a dangerous turn after becoming friends with Emily, and Kendrick's transition from her character's initial personality to her edgier one keeps you hooked to see what Stephanie will do next.

Lively provides a strong aura of intrigue in her character, one who has a lifetime of secrets.  With the film possessing a high level of suspense, it's easy to imagine Lively as one of Alfred Hitchcock's mysterious blondes, having an abundance of mystery to her that could be shared throughout several of his movies.  She's a character about which you're begging to learn more because of how enigmatic she is, but her secretiveness is what's so appealing about her, so you don't want to know everything right away.

Kendrick and Lively have a dynamic chemistry in the film, as their characters’ personas are so opposite, that there’s endless fun in watching the two of them share the screen.  While the scene depicting the first time that Stephanie is at Emily’s house has the usual exchange of the middle-class character being amazed by the luxurious lifestyle and the richer character being bored by it, this is just the beginning of an extended interaction that builds a friendship upon comically incompatible personalities.  This is what makes their characters' first afternoon together one of the best scenes in the film.

The screenplay by Jessica Sharzer, which is based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Darcey Bell, can be a tad predictable and is one of several missing-person films to come out over the last few years, but the increasing intricacy of the plot still keeps you guessing, even if you think that you have a certain aspect figured out. 

Besides the twists within the narrative, the film excels in crafting its two main characters.  It provides Stephanie and Emily with enough time to interact before the latter goes missing, which means that you're absorbed in their friendship and have seen enough of them together in order to become invested in their connection.  Meanwhile, you still know that there's more to Emily that you have yet to learn, which motivates you to stick with the mystery as a succession of discoveries are made, all of which stem from that simple afternoon get-together.

Much of Feig's work has been involved with directing comedies, such as "Bridesmaids," "The Heat," "Spy," and the "Ghostbusters" reboot.  Despite this, he's able to handle this new territory and does well in imbuing the story with an abundance of dark wit that blends in with the suspense, managing to not make the tonal shifts feel jarring.  This all results in a movie that’s so enjoyable to watch as you alternate between the shocks and laughs.

"A Simple Favor" is a sharp and humorous take on the missing-person narrative, and investigating the murkiness of the characters’ lives will provide you with a mystery that you’ll want to solve as soon as you can.

Grade: B+