I don’t know that I have ever been so let down or underwhelmed by a films ending as I was with the ending to A Simple Favor. This is a film that I have wanted to see for a while. I love Paul Feig as a filmmaker, and Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick are lovely. I love a good mystery and, for the most part, it was a good mystery. The problem is that the film became obsessed with twisting its plot. I lost count of how many plot twists there were. The most frustrating part about having so many twists that, at some point, it no longer felt like the twists were being used to tell a good story. They were being used to shock the audience and only that, with little consideration for what those twists did for the overall film.
A Simple Favor felt like it had the wrong ending. After a certain point, I was sure that the

characters of Stephanie and Emily were going to frame Emily’s husband and then run away together with their children in tow. The fact that that isn’t how the film ended is fine, but the ending chosen felt immensely underwhelming. The ending felt neat and pretty and tied up with a little bow, complete with a zinger from the films only gay man. The film, once fun, became silly.
I would not say that this film is a bad one. In fact, I think A Simple Favor does wonders in showing Paul Feig’s ability. The performance by Blake Lively was tremendous. I could have done without all of Anna Kendrick’s horrible outfits, though. I don’t know what the thought process was there, but I would love to find out.
You can currently watch this film on Hulu. Let me know what you think and whether you liked it or not. Better yet, let me know which films A Simple Favor reminds you of. I think it’s a mix of Paper Towns, Gone Girl, and The Prestige. But, that’s just me.