A Simple Favor (2018)
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A vlogger's life becomes complicated when she tries to solve the mysterious disappearance of her elegant friend.
The story
In Warfield, Connecticut, widowed single mother Stephanie Smothers runs a vlog featuring crafts and recipes for mothers. She becomes friends with Emily Nelson, a PR director for a fashion company, and the two begin to meet regularly for martinis. When Emily suddenly goes missing, Stephanie attempts to uncover the truth behind her friend's disappearance. As Stephanie investigates, she uncovers a web of secrets and lies surrounding Emily's past and personal life, leading her into a complex mystery involving hidden identities and dangerous secrets.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In Warfield, Connecticut, Stephanie Smothers, a vlogger, befriends Emily Nelson, a wealthy PR director. When Emily disappears, Stephanie begins an investigation that reveals Emily's life was a facade; she was actually a woman named Hope McLanden who fled a tragic past with her twin sister, Faith. The sisters had committed patricide and fled, but Faith reappeared years later demanding money. Emily staged her own death to escape Faith, but Stephanie discovers the truth. The two women eventually find themselves in a tense standoff involving a staged murder-suicide plot. Ultimately, Emily is arrested for her past crimes, while Stephanie's career as a private detective flourishes. The film concludes with Stephanie's vlog gaining massive popularity and Sean becoming a successful professor.
- First release year
- 2018
- Runtime (minutes)
- 117
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Paul Feig
- Writers
- Jessica Sharzer · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Anna Kendrick · Stephanie Smothers; Blake Lively · Emily Nelson; Henry Golding · Sean Townsend; Andrew Rannells · not specified
- Genres
- black comedy; mystery; crime
- Themes
- hidden identities; friendship; secrets; social media
- Tone and mood
- twisty; stylish; jazzy
- Premise and plot tags
- mystery; buddy comedy; crime; missing person
- Source material / true-story basis
- novel by Darcey Bell
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics for its plot twists and performances.
- Reported review scores
- PostTrak · score: 76%
- Production trivia
- The film was originally optioned by 20th Century Fox.; Blake Lively hid all pictures from her Instagram to promote the film.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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