How a suburban vlogger turned a missing person mystery into a viral sensation
In short: When Stephanie Smothers investigates the disappearance of her glamorous friend Emily, she uncovers a web of patricide, insurance fraud, and hidden identities. This stylish black comedy, which grossed nearly five times its production budget, blends suburban domesticity with dark, twist-filled intrigue that keeps audiences guessing until the final frame.
Directed by Paul Feig and based on the 2017 novel by Darcey Bell, A Simple Favor follows Stephanie, a widowed vlogger, as she attempts to solve the sudden vanishing of her friend, Emily Nelson. The narrative quickly spirals from a simple missing person case into a complex noir thriller. As Stephanie digs into Emily’s past, she discovers that her friend is actually Hope McLanden, a woman who, along with her twin sister Faith, committed patricide as a teenager before fleeing their home.
The film’s plot relies on a series of calculated deceptions. Emily, having staged her own death by drowning her twin sister Faith, returns to extort her husband, Sean, for insurance money. The tension escalates as Stephanie and Emily engage in a dangerous game of manipulation, culminating in a confrontation where Stephanie reveals she has been live-streaming Emily’s confession to her vlog followers. The film concludes with Emily’s imprisonment and Stephanie’s transformation into a successful part-time private detective.
Beyond its narrative, the film was noted for its distinct aesthetic and strong performances. Critics praised the chemistry between Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, often describing the tone as a stylish, jazzy, and slightly sleazy take on the mommy noir genre. Released in 2018, the film was a commercial success, earning $97.6 million worldwide against a $20 million budget. Its popularity eventually led to a 2025 sequel, Another Simple Favor, which continued the story of these characters on Amazon Prime Video.
The production process was marked by rapid development, with Lionsgate acquiring the rights in 2017 after 20th Century Fox initially purchased them. Filming took place in Toronto, utilizing the Univisium 2.00:1 aspect ratio to capture its unique visual style. The film’s success with both critics and audiences—evidenced by an 84% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes—cemented its status as a modern cult favorite, blending dark humor with the high-stakes tension of a classic mystery.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: A Simple Favor (film)
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