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A ‘deliciously twisty’ new thriller on Amazon Prime Video has already shot to the top of the charts on the major streaming service.
Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick are reunited for another wild adventure in Another Simple Favor, which was released on the streaming platform this Thursday – seven years after the first movie came out, introducing us to the messy frenemies.
A Simple Favor followed the story of Anna’s character Stephanie, who begins investigating the mysterious disappearance of her friend – Blake’s character Emily.
In the follow-up, also directed by Paul Feig, Emily and Stephanie are reunited in Italy for Emily’s wedding to a businessman but it’s not long before things take a turn.
Now, just two days after it dropped on Prime Video, the flick currently sits atop the streaming service’s charts, with viewers excited to tune in.
Google reviews user Sanyukta called Another Simple Favor a ‘deliciously twisted’ thriller comedy that ‘exceeds expectations at every turn’.
@Bromoish recommended the film on X to anyone who’d enjoyed the original: ‘This was a fun sequel and anyone who liked the first movie will enjoy it.’
Elsewhere, @ConnorMovies said: ‘Another Simple Favor is an enjoyable sequel that recaptures most of the camp, dark humour and twisty nature of the original.’
Critics have been more lukewarm on the sequel compared to the original, with the new film currently sitting at 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to 84% boasted by the original.
However, Robbie Collin of the Telegraph raved: ‘Feig and his collaborators’ poison-tipped instincts still hit the mark often enough… And the Kendrick-Lively double-act at its core remains a toxic treat.’
Mashable’s Kristy Puchko praised: ‘If your favorite bits of A Simple Favor was Lively embracing her inner bad girl and delivering face and looks? You’ll cherish this divinely twisted thriller.’
‘A swing for the fences that’s unconstrained by any form of reality is a pleasant thing to watch, even if its existence feels like little more than an excuse for the cast to hang out in Capri while Blake Lively models an indescribable collection of hats,’ Christian Zilko from IndieWire penned.
Nate Richard of Collider agreed: ‘Similar to the original, Another Simple Favor manages to defy your expectations.
‘It’s a sequel that never feels hellbent on just repeating the same plot beats as the first.’
‘Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick excel in Paul Feig’s sinfully fun, twisty sequel,’ Casey Chong of Casey’s Movie Mania commented.
As Screen Rant’s Mae Abdulbaki added: ‘With Another Simple Favor, Feig has managed to make a fun, delightfully ridiculous film, though it lacks the stakes and suspense of the original.’
A Simple Favor caused a huge stir when it hit the big screen in 2018, focusing on mommy vlogger Stephanie as she grew close to Emily, after their sons became friends at school.
However, their friendship hit a snag when the PR maven mysteriously vanished, leading her new best friend to investigate her disappearance.
Paul got the pals back together and jetted them to Capri for the sequel, with Andrew Rannells, Henry Golding and Kelly McCormack also reprising their roles.
Allison Janney and Elizabeth Perkins are among the newcomers joining in the murderous fun.
The official synopsis reads: ‘Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Blake Lively) reunite on the beautiful island of Capri, Italy, for Emily’s extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman.
‘Along with the glamorous guests, expect murder and betrayal to RSVP for a wedding with more twists and turns than the road from the Marina Grande to the Capri town square.’
Another Simple Favor was released on Amazon Prime Video on May 1.
An earlier version of this article was published on May 1.
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