2018 has certainly been a year that has, for lack of a better word, crippled several incredible directors. People like Wes Anderson (“Isle of Dogs”), Jason Reitman (“Tully”) and Peter Berg (“Mile 22”), to varying degrees, have put out some of their weakest efforts in years. Not to mention, the month of September has all but officially replaced January as the dumping ground for movies that studios wish they had never signed the checks to fund. Against all odds, however, director Paul Feig (“Ghostbusters”) manages to churn out a film that besides being, you know, good, is quite possibly one of the biggest surprises to come out of arguably the worst year in movie history.
Anna Kendrick (“Pitch Perfect 3”) portrays Stephanie, a single mom and mommy vlogger who befriends socialite Emily (Blake Lively, “The Shallows”) after their kids befriend each other in their pre-school. A very strange relationship develops between the two, leading Stephanie to consider Emily her closest friend. But when Emily asks Stephanie to pick up her son one day from school and never shows up to get him afterward, Stephanie finds herself on the warpath to find her new friend, ultimately unearthing secrets about her along the way, as well as growing closer to Emily’s husband, Sean (Henry Golding, “Crazy Rich Asians”).
The biggest takeaway from this movie is that it is basically “Gone Girl,” but if it were a satire. Granted, “Gone Girl” already was a satire of sorts, as that film was poking fun, albeit in a very dark way, at relationships and how the media interprets them versus what they really are. This film takes more of a cat-and-mouse angle, however, as unlike “Gone Girl,” where the mystery is solved halfway through, this film lingers on it and uses it, in a very clever way, to flesh out these characters, particularly Lively, who arguably gives her best performance in years with this character. She always acts like she is hiding something, and the way she manipulates people to get what she wants is unmatched. In addition, she plays one of those characters that says everything that people want to say but cannot because of societal norms, and it is just awesome to watch.
Probably the most surprising thing about this film, however, is Feig’s direction. This probably also has something do with the fact that he did not write the screenplay, and it is based on a book. But really taking a step back from the comedy and constant, forced improvisation of his previous work really allows his directing skills to shine through. Despite there being a few moments of straight-up comedy in the film that feel completely forced and out of place, the film really manages to settle into its stride of being a pitch-black, almost soap opera-esque satire.
But really, the argument as to why this film shines is part of a larger argument having to do with speculation and how much press a film gets prior to its release. This film opened up against Shane Black’s “The Predator,” which has received largely negative reviews. But who knew a movie that not a lot of people knew was even happening, coupled together with a measly marketing campaign and little to no trailers, would result in one of the biggest surprises of this year? That is simply something we do not get with movies nowadays. Overall, “A Simple Favor” is most definitely a must-see.
Image from Lionsgate Movies via YouTube.com
