The first of the month usually brings with it a whole host of newmoviesand TV shows being added to streaming platforms, and of course May is no exception. However, one of the most interesting additions is nota film unearthed from the archives,a flop given a new lease of life, or evena hit from earlier in the year we can finally watch at home. Today, all eyes are on a streaming original.
Another Simple Favor, a sequel to 2018’s A Simple Favor, debuts onAmazon Primetoday, and is hotly anticipated by fans of the divisive cult thriller. The original movie was a somewhat tense character drama with some light comedy, that suddenly turned into a violent bloodbath with twists, fake endings, and major reveals crammed into the last ten minutes.
Though not everyone loved the sudden rugpull, those who did became die-hard fans of the strange movie, and have been begging for a sequel to explain what the heck just went down. Today, seven years on, Amazon Prime delivers.
Another Simple Favor Picks Up Where A Simple Favor Left Off
A Simple Favor starred Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, who both return for Another Simple Favor, while the supporting cast Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Joshua Satine, and Ian Ho also return. Allison Janney and Elizabeth Perkins are amongst the newcomers joining this time around.
While critics described A Simple Favor, amongst other things, as “haphazard”, “confused”, and “odd”, it still did well both critically and commericially, lodging an 84 percent Critic Score and a 73 percent Audience Rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film also grossed $97 million on a $20 budget, making it a huge success. That’s part of the reason the long wait for a sequel has been hard on fans. But also, with the ending leaving little room for easy expansion, it feels less like a surprise it took this long and more like it’s a surprise it happened at all.
No Audience Score is available for Another Simple Favor given it has just dropped, but its Critic Score is remarkable similar to its predecessor, only three points lower at 81 percent. The thriller is being described as a “toxic treat” that leans more into the chaos of the original’s finale, leading to a more excitng movie, if perhaps not one as taut as A Simple Favor.
In other long-awaited movie news,Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson recently showcased a new side to himself with the first trailer for The Smashing Machinein which he plays UFC legend Mark Kerr. Whispers have already begun thatJohnson could even launch an Oscar campaignoff the back of the role.
