Another Simple Favor, the aptly-titled sequel to 2018’sA Simple Favor, is now streaming on Prime Video, and it is just as unhinged as we were expecting. Welcoming back a star-studded cast that includes Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick, and Henry Golding, the new installment of this dark and stylish murder mystery is once again directed by Paul Feig and features a slew of new names, including Oscar-winner Allison Janney, Netflix heartthrob Michele Morrone, and stage veteran Alex Newell.
Another Simple Favoris filled to the martini’s brim with just as many chaotic elements as the first film, if not more. There is plenty of backstabbing, front-stabbing, incest, mommy vlogging, secret twins, and, of course, incredible powersuits. Thus, followingAnother Simple Favoris no simple feat at times. So, who was the killer in this iteration, just how many versions of “Emily” are there, and what does that ending cliffhanger mean?
Another Simple Favor
What Happens in ‘Another Simple Favor’?
The first film is a lot to break down in its own right, so definitelyorient yourself firstbefore trying to take on the sequel.Another Simple Favorstarts in familiar territory with Stephanie (Kendrick) talking to the camera for her viral mommy vlog. However,this time, she is in Capri, Italy, and she complains of being under house arrest. She begs her followers to believe that she “did not kill Emily’s husband.“Then, we get taken back to the beginning to find out how the heck we got into this pickle (record scratch, freeze-frame, etc.).
In the past, Stephanie is preparing to send her son, Miles, off to summer camp, and has gone offline following the events ofA Simple Favor.She haswritten a true-crime bookabout her experiences with Emily (Lively) and is about to release it, but the people around her are puzzled by the way she would not leverage her social media following to do so.
Out of nowhere, Emily shows up at an event at a suburban bookstore out of nowhere, having been released from prison. Emily asks Stephanie for another simple favor (ayoooo!):be the maid of honor at Emily’s upcoming wedding in Capri to a new Italian businessman. Of course, Stephanie is initially very hesitant, seeing as the last time she saw Emily, she tried to murder her, but she ultimately agrees so that she can promote her book and vlog, bringing along her new assistant, Vicky, as leverage (Alex Newell).
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It doesn’t take long for Stephanie to recognize that more than nuptials are afoot. Emily’s new beau, Dante (Michele Morrone), is part of the Italian mob, which seems to be in an all-out turf war. This means that both Emily and Stephanie have to deal with the matriarch of the mob, Dante’s Mother, Portia (Elena Sofia Ricci), who does not take kindly to the match.
Emily’s estranged mother (Elizabeth Perkins, humorously replacing Jean Smart from the first film with the line “I’ve had work done”) andaunt Linda (Allison Janney)show up to the ceremony at Portia’s invitation, much to Emily’s chagrin. Furthermore, Emily’s ex-husband, Sean (Henry Golding), has been forced to attend with his and Emily’s son, Nicky.Sean drinks and insults Emily and Dante, and it is not long before he is murdered in the shower.
Despite this unsolved crime, the wedding goes on. Almost immediately after Emily and Dante take their vows, Dante publicly and theatrically burns their prenup. Mere moments after that,Dante is shot and killed. With no eyewitnesses, Stephanie becomes the number one suspect. Now, we are back where we started, and Stephanie is under house arrest in her hotel room for a crime she did not commit.
Always the resourceful mommy vlogger,Stephanie escapes house arrest by bribing a housekeeper to smuggle her out in a cart. From there, she finds Emily’s mother’s room. In an alcohol-induced stupor, Emily’s mother reveals to Stephanie that Charity, the third McLinden sister (Emily is actually Faith, twin to Hope, and Charity was their triplet who was previously thought dead, all in the first film), is actually alive and has been raised by Aunt Linda.Linda kidnapped Charity when she was young and kept her sequestered, kind of like Rapunzel.
Now,Linda is the mastermind, using Charity as a pawn to kill Sean and Dante and inherit all the money that would have been protected by the prenup. Before long, Stephanie is captured again and held by Portia. She is saved at the last minute by the real Emily.
We’re Seeing Double Again
Stephanie and Emily are actually face-to-face again. Emily explains that the sheltered Charity came to her at some point in Capri, complained of their Aunt’s abuse, and drugged Emily. From that point on, Charity assumed Emily’s identity. Then, in a strange yet somehow logical moment, Emily kisses Stephanie. That eradicates some tension, then Emily proceeds to tell Stephanie that, in fact,she married Dante as a beard, for Dante is secretly engaged in a passionate affair with his rival mob boss, Matteo. Then, Charity sends an ominous video threatening Nicky, causing Emily and Stephanie to go confront them.
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Atop a clifftop, Emily, Stephanie, Linda, and Charity face off at last. In a disturbing stroke of genius, Emily gets Charity to turn on Linda by kissing her sister (obviously?).Charity shoots Linda, who then dramatically gets pushed off a cliff. Finally, Charity wants to kill Stephanie, but Emily convinces her not to in favor of a bigger plan.
It All Comes Down to Motherhood (and a Possible Trilogy?)
We flash forward to find out thatthe plan was to make it seem as though Emily went to jail for each of the murders. Stephanie continues to mommy vlog and raise Miles. She then receives a phone call from the ever-enigmatic Emily, who once again asks for a “simple favor.” This time, she explicitly asks if Stephanie would not mind raising Nicky for her while she is gone. With Sean gone and Emily on the run, this is the most natural next step. Of course, Stephanie agrees.
As odd, erotic, toxic, and unpredictable as Emily and Stephanie’s relationship may be, the foundation that alwaysbrought them together was motherhood. At the end of the day,Emily and Stephanie have a mutual understanding because they know what it is to do anything for their child. Thus, it makes such satisfying sense that this would be the ultimate and final favor exchanged between these two opposites.
However, that is not to say there will not be more favors. In fact, the ending scene of the film seems to imply the possibility of a third film. It showsPortia interrupting Emily’s phone call with Stephanie to ask for a simple favor of her own. Emily asks, “How big of a simple favor?” to which we never hear a reply. The last thing the audience sees before the credits is a sealed envelope, and the women cheers-ing to the possibility of a new scheme.
Our minds could run wild with what this secret potential favor could be? Something even bigger we have not seen yet? Well, it seems there are three things we know about the universe ofA Simple Favor:there will always be another favor, it will not be simple, and you cannot kill Emily/Faith/Charity/Hope/whatever-her-name-will-be-in-the-next-one.
