Director Paul Feig’s 2018 thriller “A Simple Favor” feels like it came out a lifetime ago. In some ways it did. The film, which starred Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, was a theatrical hit before the pandemic completely altered cinema as we know it. Now, it’s a streaming-dominated landscape. Somewhat ironically, the prevalence of streaming has allowed Feig to reunite Kendrick and Lively for a sequel, made for a streamer, specifically Amazon Prime Video, seven years later. For both better and worse, “Another Simple Favor” is a truly decadent, far more silly, even sexier affair. In some ways, it’s the perfect streaming movie.

The sequel picks up several years after the events of the first film and centers on Stephanie Smothers (Kendrick), who is unexpectedly visited by her old friend Emily Nelson (Blake Lively) after being released from prison. They reunite on the beautiful island of Capri, Italy for Emily’s extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman, with Stephanie serving as the maid of honor. Stephanie is suspicious of Emily’s motivations but tags along anyway, in no small part to help sell her book about their previous encounter. Naturally, murder and intrigue follows as this wedding unfolds, putting Stephanie and Emily in the middle of an even more twisted series of events once again.

It wouldn’t be fair to call “A Simple Favor” a totally grounded motion picture. It’s certainly lavish, and the mystery unravels in ways that only a movie could truly allow. Yet, it does maintain a more grounded quality to it, and it’s arguably Feig’s most serious movie to date. With “Another Simple Favor,” Feig leaves the ground behind for something far more campy and salacious. Mileage is going to vary on how appealing that is but it certainly feels like popcorn entertainment designed for the streaming era.

Credit where credit is due, it’s not as though any of the camp or silliness is unintentional. From the jump, it’s evident that Feig wanted to do something more over-the-top. It’s sort of a bold move. It would have been very easy to do the exact same thing over again. After all, it worked out well enough the first time around, right?

Whether or not the final product is as wholly satisfying or as air tight is certainly up for debate. “Another Simple Favor” is a whole lot more movie, that much is undeniable. If the first movie was a steak and potatoes meal at a nice restaurant, this is an all-you-can-eat dessert bar packed with fancy sweets. Is one better than the other? Nutritionally speaking, yes. But they both taste good.

It’s not quite as big of a jump in tone as say “Gremlins 2: The New Batch” was compared to its predecessor, but it’s certainly a jump. Feig is absolutely having fun, and one would be hard-pressed to accuse this of being a boring movie. It’s extravagant, ridiculous, and over-stuffed, with more layers than an onion. It dances on a razor’s edge in regards to jumping the shark. All the while, it feels like Feig knows that, which is why it doesn’t fall apart. There’s confidence in the chaos.

If this movie has a strength, it is undoubtedly its two leads. Anna Kendrick is coming off of her directorial debut “Woman of the Hour.” She’s grown a lot as a performer and filmmaker in the years since the first movie came out. Yet, she steps right back into Stephanie’s shoes rather comfortably, going where this wacky script takes her without skipping a beat. But this is a chemistry piece, and Stephanie isn’t nearly as compelling alone as she is paired with Emily.

To that end, Blake Lively shines bright as the ever-mysterious, bold, and sexy Emily. Lively, coming off of the success of last year’s “It Ends With Us,” is brimming with confidence, which works perfectly with the at times bonkers direction of the story. From a chemistry perspective? There’s an oil and water thing going on between Kendrick and Lively that just works.

But if there’s a standout here, it’s Lively, who makes this absurd socialite sing. We should hate her, but you kind of love her. One thing Feig knows how to do is cast. From bringing back Henry Golding and several other key cast members to adding in new, welcome additions ,such as the always welcome Allison Janney, it’s tough to argue against the ensemble.

This movie veers in some truly wild directions and it’s not quite as polished as its predecessor. At the same time, it feels in line with what came before. It certainly doesn’t betray the characters or the world Feig has set up. There’s nothing worse than a boring sequel and, even if it’s not all air tight, this is far from boring. There’s something to be said for that in an era of paint-by-numbers franchise flicks.

“Another Simple Favor” arrives on Prime Video on May 1, 2025.

/Film Rating: 7 out of 10