Summary

  • A Simple Favor is now a Netflix success, ranking 8th on the Global Top 10 with 6.3 million views.
  • The thriller's unexpected plot twists and dark humor earned critical acclaim and a strong 84% Rotten Tomatoes score.
  • A sequel, A Simple Favor 2, has been officially announced with original cast returning for a lavish wedding storyline.

Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively's hit thriller, A Simple Favor's cast includes Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Linda Cardellini, Rupert Friend, and Jean Smart.

Now, six years after its release, Kendrick and Lively's thriller is now a Netflix success. For the week of May 20-26, A Simple Favor ranked 8th on Netflix's Global Top 10 chart with 6.3 million views and 12.2 million hours viewed. It placed below Ice Age: Collision Course with 7.2 million views and above Madame Web, which received 6.2 million views in its second week in the Top 10.

A Simple Favor's Success Has Paved The Way For A Sequel

As a traditional thriller that combines elements of crime and comedy, A Simple Favor was a surprise success in 2018, receiving acclaim from both critics and audiences for its unexpected plot twists, potent performances, dark humor, and Hitchcockian elements. A Simple Favor reviews especially praised its surprising plot twists and darkly entertaining narrative, declaring it a stylish entry into the "mom-noir" subgenre, which blends elements of traditional noir with themes and settings related to motherhood and domestic life. As a result, A Simple Favor holds a strong 84% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

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A Simple Favor was also a sleeper hit at the box office, nearly hitting the $100 million mark on a mere $20 million budget. Audiences also enjoyed the thriller's many twists and turns, as indicated by its 73% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes with over 5,000 ratings from s. However, even with a strong box office haul, the thriller really didn't break out until it hit streaming services like Hulu and Amazon Prime the following year. Now, following its recent addition to Netflix, A Simple Favor is continuing to be a success on streaming services.

A Simple Favor's success has paved the way for a sequel, A Simple Favor 2, which was often discussed before being officially announced in May 2022. Feig and Sharzer are returning to write and direct, with original cast Kendrick, Lively, Golding, Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Joshua Satine, Ian Ho, and Kelly McCormack all reprising their roles. The sequel follows Stephanie and Emily as they travel to the picturesque island of Capri for the latter's lavish wedding to a wealthy Italian entrepreneur. Considering A Simple Favor's recent success on Netflix, this should only increase interest in the sequel.

A Simple Favor is streaming on Netflix, though the sequel will be released on Prime Video.

Source: Netflix

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A Simple Favor
Release Date
September 14, 2018
Runtime
119minutes
Director
Paul Feig
  • Headshot Of Eric Johnson
    Eric Johnson
  • Headshot Of Linda Cardellini In The Step Up's Annual Inspiration Awards 2023
    Linda Cardellini

WHERE TO WATCH

Based on the novel by Darcey Bell, A Simple Favor stars Anna Kendrick as Stephanie, a widowed mother and vlogger who becomes friends with the wealthy mother of one of her son's classmates, a woman named Emily. When Emily suddenly and inexplicably disappears, Stephaine begins to search for her and in doing so uncovers a series of dark secrets about Emily's past. Blake Lively and Henry Golding also star. 

Writers
Jessica Sharzer, Darcey Bell
Studio(s)
Lionsgate
Distributor(s)
Lionsgate
Budget
$20 million