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A Simple Favor - Blu-ray Review

Nancy Drew knows too much. 

There is an elegance to the mystery that surrounds A Simple Favor.  It is made so much richer thanks to the performance from Anna Kendrick who, once again, nails her character with her quirky energy and down to earth nature.  With one smile, she can convey so much and hide twice that amount – which makes her great in this role as secrets come spilling out of the past.

"There is an elegance to the mystery that surrounds A Simple Favor.  It is made so much richer thanks to the performance from Anna Kendrick"


This mystery thriller, about a mommy vlogger who becomes detective when her best new friend goes missing, is directed by Paul Feig (The Heat, Bridesmaids, Spy) yet is SO NOT the typical offering from him . . . which makes this film an unexpected delight.  It is stylish and sexy; confident in its tale, penned by Jessica Sharzer (but based off the book by Darcey Bell), as it twists its way around a deceptive web.

Emily (Blake Lively) is a busy professional PR director.  She has no time for her husband.  No time for her child and no time for friends.  Except when Stephanie Smothers (Kendrick), who runs a video based website for mothers, enters her life.  Stephanie is a single mother and when her young son befriends Emily’s son, well, it is only a matter of time before her positive energy wins even Emily over. {googleads}

Soon, the two women are swapping secrets with each other and drinking martinis on afternoon hangouts.  And then the unthinkable happens: Emily goes missing and, when her body is found, Stephanie finds herself filling a void in her husband’s (Henry Golding) life and bed. 

Except Emily seems to be communicating from beyond the grave.  There are phone messages; letters from her kids handed to her; and spottings of her.  Something is not right here and, after Stephanie moves in to Emily’s old house, the mystery strengthens.  Suddenly, she is reaching into Stephanie’s past as a con artist and, well, definitely not loving every minute of it.

A Simple Favor - Blu-ray Review

A Simple Favor is well-paced and thrilling.  It is a fun watch, too, thanks to the chemistry between Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick; they are so entertaining to watch together; intoxicating comes to mind.  Featuring great performances from Andrew Rannells, Linda Cardellini, Jean Smart, and Rupert Friend, A Simple Favor is not easily shaken off. 

But, what is really grand about it is the fact that Feig has not left the comedy behind.  Large parts of this thriller are so far down the tunnel macabre that a disturbing, black comedy is revealed to be at its heart. A Simple Favor is, above everything else, a whole lot of fun. 

The film, thanks to Lionsgate Home Video, is now available on Blu-ray.

5 stars

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A Simple Favor - Blu-ray Review

MPAA Rating: Rated R for sexual content and language throughout, some graphic nude images, drug use and violence.
Runtime:
117 mins
Director
: Paul Feig
Writer:
Jessica Sharzer
Cast:
Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding
Genre
: Mystery | Thriller
Tagline:
We all have secrets to hide.
Memorable Movie Quote: "I'm fine, but I do need just a simple favor. Can you come over?"
Theatrical Distributor:
Lionsgate
Official Site: asimplefavor.movie/
Release Date:
September 14, 2018
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
December 18, 2018
Synopsis: Stephanie is a single mother with a parenting vlog who befriends Emily, a secretive upper-class woman who has a child at the same elementary school. When Emily goes missing, Stephanie takes it upon herself to investigate.

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

A Simple Favor - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Lionsgate
Available on Blu-ray
- December 18, 2018
Screen Formats: 2.00:1
Subtitles
: English SDH; Spanish
Audio:
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1; Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

With stunning results, Lionsgate presents A Simple Favor on blu-ray with an aspect ratio of 2.00:1.  The color palette is naturally well balanced with warm and rich hues. Contrast is excellent, with solid and deep blacks and revealing shadow delineation. Flesh tones are naturally cast.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • Fans of the movie get THREE different commentaries: one Audio Commentary with Director Paul Feig, another one with Director Paul Feig, Actors Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Jean Smart and Bashir Salahuddin, and a final one with Director Paul Feig, Writer Jessica Sharzer, Producer Jessie Henderson, Cinematographer John Schwartzman, and Costume Designer Renee Ehrlich Kalfus.

Special Features:

Feig introduces the film in one special feature, but the production style of the film seems to be highlight of the supplemental items.  We get a lot of looks at the production and at some of the actors, too.  Overall, this is a good assembly of featurettes that fans of the movie will definitely enjoy.

  • Gravestone Martinis (20 min)
  • Suburban Noir: The Visual Style of A Simple Favor (13 min)
  • Dapper Director Diaries with Paul Feig (11 min)
  • Love Triangle (6 min)
  • Style by Paul (5 min)
  • Flash Mob Making Of (5 min)
  • Dennis Nylon (5 min)
  • A Simple Playdate (5 min)
  • Flash Mob: Alternate Ending (5 min)
  • Gag Reel (4 min)
  • Deleted Scenes (12 min)

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A Simple Favor - Blu-ray Review

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