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Welcome, everyone, to tonight's episode. We're diving into A Simple Favor and its sequel Another Simple Favor — two stylish, twisty thrillers that sit at the intersection of dark comedy, mystery, and melodrama. But behind the glamour and plot turns lies an interesting story of studio strategy, financial risk, and evolving distribution models.Let's start with the original. A Simple Favor (2018) is directed by Paul Feig, from a screenplay by Jessica Sharzer, and stars Anna Kendrick as Stephanie and Blake Lively as Emily. The film is based on the 2017 novel by Darcey Bell. Its budget was modest — around 20 million dollars — and it went on to gross nearly 98 million worldwide. Critics generally responded well, with a Metacritic score in the high 60s and audiences giving it a CinemaScore of B+. Rotten Tomatoes praised it as “twisty, twisted, and above all simply fun.” Part of the allure is the tone: it plays like a “mommy noir” — elegant, sharp, with sharply drawn characters and unpredictable turns. It was a strong showing for a midtier studio film, and helped cement A Simple Favor as a cult favorite in the thriller and women-driven mystery niche.Fast forward to 2025, and we have Another Simple Favor. This sequel is not based on a book — unlike the original, it's an original screenplay by Jessica Sharzer and Laeta Kalogridis. The production is a co-venture: Lionsgate still participates, but distribution shifted. Another Simple Favor was released on Amazon Prime Video rather than in theaters, with Amazon MGM handling distribution. Filming took place in 2024, in locations like Capri and the Villa Adriana in Italy. Critically, the sequel has earned mixed reviews. Some praise Lively's magnetic presence, gorgeous costumes, and the ambition of the story's escalation. But others argue it feels overstuffed, that pacing sags in parts, and that it lacks some of the tightness or novelty of the first film. One reviewer summed it up: “It works better when its characters are just allowed to be marvelous instead of mysterious.” It also premiered at SXSW in March 2025 before its streaming release on May 1. The fact that its home is Prime Video, rather than a theatrical run, signals some of the shifting business realities behind studio films — especially for sequels that may carry higher risk.These two films provide an ideal case study in how creative ambition, risk, and studio strategy collide. The first film was a midbudget gamble that paid off. The second gives us lessons in modern distribution, content partnerships, and the pressures on midsize studios to share risk or cede control with streaming giants.Tonight, we're going to compare the narratives, the characters, the successes and stumbles — but also look behind the curtain: how studios like Lionsgate are navigating a volatile business environment, why a sequel would skip theaters, and whether the shift in approach gives Another Simple Favor an edge or a handicap.So grab your martini, or mocktail — let's get into A Simple Favor and Another Simple Favor.Disclaimer: The following may contain offensive language, adult humor, and/or content that some viewers may find offensive – The views and opinions expressed by any one speaker does not explicitly or necessarily reflect or represent those of Mark Radulich or W2M Network.Mark Radulich and his wacky podcast on all the things:https://linktr.ee/markkind76alsohttps://www.teepublic.com/user/radulich-in-broadcasting-networkFB Messenger: Mark Radulich LCSWTiktok: @markradulichtwitter: @MarkRadulichInstagram: markkind76RIBN Album Playlist: https://suno.com/playlist/91d704c9-d1ea-45a0-9ffe-5069497bad59
Hello B-Critics Fam!Welcome to The B-Critics Podcast with Elizabeth Arnold and Courtney Thompson.A Simple Favor is the dark comedy, murder mystery we all didn't know we needed! This story has more than you could wish for in terms of serious twists and turns. More importantly though, A Simple Favor is led by an incredible duo - Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick really steal the show in this one. And to discuss this one, this week The B-Critics bring a returning guest critic, Holly Geissel, back on to finish off our Murder Mystery season with a discussion you won't want to miss!Previous Holly Geissel episode: La La LandYou can find every episode of The B-Critics on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, & Google Podcasts. For more information visit our website bcritics.com. Linktr.ee in the episode show notes: Linktr.ee/bcriticspodcastFollow us on Instagram: @bcriticspodcast Follow us on TikTok: @bcriticspodcast Follow us on Twitter: @bcriticspodcast Do you have a movie or season request? Fill out our form!CLICK HERE FOR THE FORM! September 4, 2023 | 1 hr, 04 minMusic produced by Josh McDonald.
Our guest on the show this week is actor, filmmaker, musician and executive producer, Kelly McCormack! Currently, Kelly is gearing up to shoot the Amazon Studios TV re-imagining of the 1992 classic A League of Their Own starring alongside Abbi Jacobson, D'Arcy Carden and Chanté Adams. You've seen Kelly onscreen in Ginny & Georgia, Departure, Letterkenny, Killjoys, A Simple Favor, Carter, The Expanse, and SO much more. Kelly's latest feature film, Sugar Daddy - which is breathtakingly gorgeous - was written and produced by Kelly. Sugar Daddy explores the ways in which young women are trained to perform femininity, and won Best Feature at the Canadian Film Fest, alongside Kelly winning Best Performance. Kelly's energy and candor make this episode a must-listen. We talk about the double-edged sword of society's need to label and identify ourselves, we talk about anxiety, nature, workaholicking, and I just had the best time catching up with my friend Kelly. Kelly McCormack https://www.instagram.com/kellyandphyllis/ https://twitter.com/kelmccormack Alok Vaid-Menon https://www.instagram.com/alokvmenon/ https://linktr.ee/alokvmenon Allegra Fulton https://www.instagram.com/cinesylph/ https://twitter.com/allegra_fulton Head Producer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong Head of Post Production: Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson Writer: Lauren Schell @Laurenschell_ Editor: Jordyn Giddens @jordyngiddens Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!
This week on the show, the crew discusses director, Paul Feig’s seductive and unpredictable thriller, ‘A SIMPLE FAVOR.’ + We have tons of current pop culture news and weekly recommendations for both, tv/film! New content and topics every single Friday!Anna and Blake interview audio by Lorraine. Podcast music by: Onarres.Outro music by: the Swann.
The pirates are back in lockdown and providing entertainment via online.This week they talk about Amber Heard and her war on Johnny Depp, James Cameron and movies such as Free Fire, A Simple Favor , Borat 2 and Jersey Boys.They Also do movies for life taking on the year 2001.
Dan and Eric talk about the election, Jeff Bezos, NotMilk, Colorado, grey wolves, AppleTV, Apple silicon, Sennheiser, Becky, Cloverfield, A Simple Favor, Friday the 13th, Antebellum, Homeland, Ted Lasso
Brian and Shelly discuss the films of Anna Kendrick including Up In The Air, A Simple Favor and Pitch Perfect
Spotted, Andy and Aaron falling in love with Paul Feig's batshit crazy film "A Simple Favor," starring Our Lady of Perpetual Gossip, Blake Lively, and the hilariously neurotic Anna Kendrick. This week, their best quips were delivered online @GossipGuysPod & @thewursst during a live-tweet performance (#ASimpleFavor), but A+A still manage to gush about the BEST Blake Lively movie since Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and the BEST Blake Lively performance ever, while finally admitting that all men are patsies. XOXO.
Paul Feig Returns! - Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as we get to know EVEN MORE about Director Paul Feig. In this episode; Paul RETURNS to chat about his latest film LAST CHRISTMAS (in theaters now). We talk about getting the movie made, how the casting process was, and what it was like to get permission from the George Michael Estate to include some of his songs in the film. We do briefly touch on Paul's previous movie A SIMPLE FAVOR and how Aviation Gin came to be the drink of choice for the characters. Paul shares a heart warming story about the great Timothy Omundson; and finally, Paul hints about his next film!Go See Last Christmas (In theaters now)Watch A Simple Favor (Free for Amazon Prime members now)Follow Paul on social media:Twit: @PaulFeigInsta: @PaulFeigFB: Paul FeigFollow the film:Twit: @LastChristmasInsta: @LastChristmasTheMovie
Blair's schemes, Serena's flawless hair, and New York City for Christmas! For Joy's Christmas special we watched the trashy CW classic Gossip Girl. Their first Christmas episode had enough drama to stuff a turkey with! We chat about how happy Joy is that Queen B and Cohen aka Adam Brody are married, Leighton Meester's great role in Life Partners, Blake Lively's first big role in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and some clearly delusional reviewer's petition for Blake Lively to get and Oscar for #ASimpleFavor. We also have a SURPRISE guest caller that may or may not be Jennifer Cooliage and/or Cher… Stick around or fast forward to 31:50 for #AWARDSCHATTER about the Golden Globe nominations for quick coverage of the noms, why Justina Machado and One Day At A Time deserve all the awards, and our Black Panther vs. A Star Is Born dilemma. Follow our twitter for #awardseason coverage, what were currently watching and more! @wehavethoughts3 XOXO Gossip Girl
EL SEPTIMO PODCAST S04 E25 – A Simple Rhapsody ¡Podcast estreno! Vimos #BohemianRhapsody, una de las películas más esperadas del año y que mayor división en la audiencia está creando. Además, repasamos la excelente #ASimpleFavor y el ¿final? de Rick Gimres en #TWD. Play y a escuchar, amig@s. Con Tomás Fenili y Tomás Miccino. #FreddiMercury #Queen #BryanMay #RamiMalek #Biopic #PaulFeig #BlakeLively #AnnaKendrick #RickGrimes #TheWalkingDead #Podcast #Cine #Podcasting #TV #Peliculas #Movies
In this episode of the "Rymie" pop culture rundown podcast, Ryan Alkire (@TheRealRyAlk) and Armin Mahramzadeh (@ArminMahram) discuss their anticipation for Jon Favreau’s live-action Star Wars show 'The Mandalorian', their thoughts on Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix's Joker project, and 'A Simple Favor'. They also play a game of "Into It or Over It" on the upcoming October films 'Venom', 'A Star Is Born', 'First Man', and 'Halloween'.
This ep is full of fall flavor, so do me A Simple Favor and dive in. Ill be reviewing a movie, reviewing Hopeland Music Festival from Green Bay Wisconsin, as well as some music updates for and from Appleton Wisconsin, plus as the seasons change so does our moods and I'm lightly treading on the topic of Seasonal Depression to help us understand our mood swings this time of year. As usual stories from the wonderful world of Drew our peppered in. So cozy up, turn on that wax warmer and lets get this thing started. The Drew Hahn Show.
This episode we talk about many, many things, including A Simple Favor, the new Michael Moore documentary Fahrenheit 11/9, and Terminal on Hulu. We also discuss Venom, A Star is Born, Last Tango in Paris, Hell Fest, the new Gong Show with Mike Myers as famous host Chuck Barris.
Jess reluctantly reviews the latest trailers for Captain Marvel, Mandy, and Marry Poppins Returns. Plus a 1 minute review of the new film 'A Simple Favor'!
Caitlin & Jon discuss their favorite 80s films, 'Say Anything' and 'Adventures in Babysitting'. Plus new films 'Camp Manna', 'The House With a Clock In Its Walls', and 'A Simple Favor'. They round it all out with their blind pick Cheap Seats film 'The Island.'
Paul Harris (harrisonline.com and harrischallenge.com) joins us once again, as we go over last weekend's box office ahead of our 'A Simple Favor' review.You've been warned. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
On our latest episode, John and Mark are visited again by The Vern, talking about Henry Cavill as the new James Bond, the trailer for Captain Marvel and discuss Joaquin Phoenix as The latest Joker. They also dive into the box office and offer reviews of A Simple Favor, The House with a Clock in its Walls and Assassination Nation. Plus, thoughts on upcoming films Night School, Smallfoot, and Hell Fest. Thanks for listening.
Get your martinis and three-piece pantsuits ready, because we watched Paul Feig's genre-bending 'A Simple Favor'. We talk about all the twists and turns, the costumes, and form the Henry Golding fan club.Is this movie's parodying of the true crime genre really a bad thing? What plot twists did we find a bit too ridiculous? And just how easy is it to swoon over Blake Lively's character? Listen to find out.Follow Us: https://twitter.com/TomatoTomatoPodhttps://twitter.com/heyitsjennalynnhttps://twitter.com/thechrisvittoeArticles/Reviews we reference:The Hollywood Reporter: 'A Simple Favor' Film Review by Jon Frosch: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/a-simple-favor-review-1141167LA Times: Review: Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively pair for the fun and kitschy 'Simple Favor' by Katie Walsh: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-simple-favor-review-20180913-story.html#Slant: A Simple Favor by Derek Smith: https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/a-simple-favor
Welcome to Share the Door, the podcast where one couple has "civilized squabbles" about what they would do in hypothetical situations based on current movie news and things between them may never be the same! Sound dramatic? Well it is! During episode four, Brianna & Leo Archibald review 'A Simple Favor', debate if how Leo would react if Brianna was the captain of some hypothetical sports team they play for, who would last the longest during a zombie apocalypse and more. Also, listen to them play a rousing game of "Friend, Marry, Kill" and to see who they will share the door with for this week and who they will let freeze. Comment with any of your thoughts or any topics you want to hear them talk about next! Soon episodes will be found at https://soundcloud.com/sharethedoorpodcast So follow the page! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharethedoor/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZSeJnR0kNlQz0J729UznuA?view_as=subscriber
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is facing serious allegations from two different women accusing him of sexual assault. This week Ryan and Zach talk about the accusations, the reactions, and the similarities to recent events. We also share our thoughts about 'A Simple Favor' and 'The Tale'
HOLY COW AND W.T.F.! One of the Craziest most intense movies I've reviewed thus far! Completely and totally torn! Join me and Andrew Greco as we discuss this crazy movie!
-- News of the Week -- Reviews for 'A Simple Favor' & 'White Boy Rick' -- Our Top 5 Drug-related movies
We revisit simple math and find that we're not so good at it. Give us your homework nerds. We also review 'A Simple Favor' (starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively) then 'Mandy' (starring Nicolas Cage). One gets a resounding thumbs up from us, the other one...not so much. -- Support the show on Patreon: www.patreon.com/listentobrunch
We did the damn thing and saw A Simple Favor (2018) on opening night! Here's our gorgeous and eloquent review. Please note THERE ARE SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This week the guys can't decide whether to laugh or be confused as they review Paul Feig's latest film, 'A Simple Favor'. It's not a thriller or a comedy but it has elements of both, so the guys tackle the mystery of what the hell Feig was trying to do with this movie. They find some clues along the way including lazy writing, obvious plot twists, and missed opportunities. They also talk movie crushes (Anna Kendrick & Blake Lively) and get into some intense Trailer Talk. Enjoy!
We have one simple favor to ask of you: GET NAKED! HAHA Just kidding! But you should probably think about going to see 'Juliet, Naked' (with clothes on), and 'A Simple Favor'. We explain why both movies are going to win over the hearts of audiences. Plus, we predict who will take home the top prize at the Emmy awards! (Hint: It's going to be Handmaid's Tale!). Right now, put in your headphones, or put us on full blast on your speakers. It's another episode of Screened on the Spot!
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Christy Lemire and Wade Major review this weekend’s new movie releases.
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