Director Paul Feig has made a name for himself with some great comedies including Bridesmaids, The Heat, Spy and his great version of Ghostbusters. Now he is switching gears for a darker film with his latest A Simple Favor starring Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively and Henry Golding, but does it offer up anything that stands out or will it not worth becoming friends for?

 

A Simple Favor follows Stephanie, a mommy vlogger who seeks to uncover the truth behind her best friend Emily's sudden disappearance from their small town. Stephanie is joined by Emily's husband Sean in this stylish thriller filled with twists and betrayals, secrets and revelations, love and loyalty, murder and revenge. I had been so excited to see this movie for several weeks now and finally the day had arrived.  As I entered the theatre there was a great buzz and I wondered if this was going to live up to my expectations.

 

I thought Kendrick did a superb job with her quirky character.  She was very peppy and good at everything without being annoying, which can sometimes happen when you have a character that is seemly perfect.  We find out she herself is flawed so she becomes more real to the viewer.  Additionally, Lively was amazingly beautiful and charming.  The minute she wafts in, she has your eye and is very compelling.  The wardrobe department did such a good job of creating very distinct personalities as demonstrated in their wardrobes which really helped define the characters.

 

As we weave our way through the story the pacing kept moving at a good speed but I was sometimes distracted by the overall feel of the movie.  Was it a mystery? A dark comedy? A farce? A straight comedy?  I think I have to circle "all of the above".  For some viewers, this may add a bit of dimension, but for me I was left with a very strange feeling at the end of the movie. The ending seemed to go in different direction and style that I was left thinking "ummm so was it a comedy?"  I'm still confused on the reason for the switch and wonder if perhaps I just missed something along the way.

 

But luckily the story itself is compelling and very intriguing and the performances are very convincing.  This one is worth the watch!  Be sure to check it out this weekend; and maybe take your 'best friend'.