A Simple Favor Parent Guide

A Simple Favor follows stay-at-home mom and all-around overachiever Stephanie Smothers, played with a light touch by Anna Kendrick, as she befriends glamorous Emily Nelson (Blake Lively). When Emily disappears, Stephanie’s subsequent investigation forces her to confront her own secrets as she uncovers Emily’s. In the process, Stephanie learns more about how she can manipulate others to serve her own interests. Seemingly caught in the middle is Emily’s husband Sean (Henry Golding), who finds himself torn between the memory of Emily and the warm presence of Stephanie as the latter helps him and his son through his wife’s absence.

The film is pitched as a more charming alternative to grittier crime thrillers like 2014’s Gone Girl. With its cute wardrobes, lilting French music, and well-lit, fashionable sets, the film balances the intense emotion of the plot with a stereotypical stay-at-home, Pinterest-browsing, high-achieving mom ambience. Don’t be fooled by this happy suburban façade: A Simple Favor plumbs the depths of human behavior. It just does so in a pastel palette. Imagine Bad Moms cranked up to eleven, and with more realistic consequences for behavior.

The characters in the movie are intense and well-developed, and played exceptionally well by the entire cast. The film delights in exposing their shifting motivations and desires and in giving viewers just enough information to follow the twists and turns. Stephanie, in particular, is a fascinating character. Although she is not quite the stereotypical “good girl gone bad”, her character arc leads her to increasingly extreme behavior. Her evolution amidst the unwinding of the plot is a highlight not only of the picture, but of Anna Kendrick’s career.

Despite its clever plotting and skilled acting, A Simple Favor has no positive messages to compensate for its high levels of profanity and extensive sexual content. Profanity is ubiquitous in this film, with almost one curse word per minute. Even worse, extreme profanity is used by a child character. Sexual content is also inappropriate: the movie contains some graphic sexual conversations and a particularly reprehensible scene involving a sexual relationship between half-siblings. Its Restricted rating is appropriate and this film is definitely not suited to family viewing. Parents who object to the content issues described here will find themselves squirming miserably by the thirty-minute mark. If that applies to you, do yourself an even simpler favor, and give this movie a miss.