Is A Simple Favor Based On A True Story?

This article contains a discussion of addiction.

No, "A Simple Favor" is not based on a true story; it's based on a bestselling novel of the same name by Darcey Bell, which released back in 2017. Now that we've got that out of the way, what exactly is "A Simple Favor?"

Directed by Paul Feig and written by Jessica Sharzer (who, again, adapted it from Bell's book), "A Simple Favor" hit theaters in 2018 with Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively at the helm as two vastly different women who end up unexpectedly drawn together. Kendrick's stay-at-home mom and "mommy blogger" Stephanie Smothers wears cute little patterned socks and signs up for too many responsibilities at every bake sale, and Lively's fashion maven Emily Nelson struts into the movie in spiked Christian Louboutin stilettos and quite literally shocks Stephanie into submission. (Lively is, in real life, good friends with the famous shoe designer Louboutin and frequently wears his creations on red carpets; she personally asked him if he would provide shoes for this movie, and as a result, Emily is only seen in red soled heels and boots.) Emily and Stephanie end up bonding over too many ice-cold dry martinis — in fact, Stephanie tells Emily some of her deepest, darkest secrets — but when Emily asks Stephanie to watch her son and then vanishes, Stephanie is left to pick up the pieces with Emily's husband Sean Townsend (Henry Golding) and figure out what exactly happened to Emily.

From this point on, "A Simple Favor" gets seriously twisted and wild ... but thanks to Feig's careful, clever direction and Sharzer's extremely funny script, not to mention the excellent chemistry between Kendrick and Lively, you can't help but get on board (and maybe make a martini in their honor). Be warned, though: as I get into the weeds of "A Simple Favor," light spoilers will follow (and if you haven't seen this movie, rectify that immediately).

To her credit, Stephanie launches a full-on missing person campaign for her new friend Emily ... but she also ends up in a romantic entanglement with Sean, complicating everything. When a body washes up in a lake in rural Michigan that matches Emily's description and DNA — and is adorned with the engagement ring Sean once gave her that belonged to his mother — both Stephanie and Sean are left to grieve, but both sort of start to believe that perhaps they can start a new life together with their two sons.

Unfortunately for Stephanie, it's not that simple. When Emily's autopsy reveals severe liver damage and traces of heroin, Stephanie grows suspicious, and that's not helped by the fact that Sean recently increased Emily's life insurance to a whopping $4 million or the fact that Emily is now leaving Stephanie threatening voicemails about her past. Seeking answers, Stephanie goes to see Emily's estranged mother Margaret (Jean Smart), who reveals that Emily had a sister ... a twin sister. See, Emily isn't her real name; she was born Hope McLendon, with twin sisters named Faith and Charity, but Charity tragically died in infancy, leaving her sisters behind.

Ultimately, we learn that Emily sought out Faith — who's struggling with addictions to heroin and alcohol — and killed her own sister, planting the ring so that she and Sean could collect her hefty life insurance and start a new life together. This plan changed, though, when Emily spied on Sean and Stephanie and realized they were hooking up, so when Emily finally reveals herself to Stephanie again, Stephanie and Sean try to trap her into confessing her crimes. Emily does confess and nearly kills both her husband and her friend ... but when she tries to flee from the police, Stephanie's fellow elementary school parent Darren (Andrew Rannells) hits her with his car, and she's apprehended and arrested. That seems like the end of Emily and Stephanie's story — but it's not.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

You might think that Emily going to prison for murder would mean that her narrative is over, but on May 1, 2025, Paul Feig, Anna Kendrick, and Blake Lively all returned for a sequel, "Another Simple Favor" — though this one is built on an original story and script by Jessica Sharzer and Laeta Kalogridis, because Bell didn't write a sequel to her book. Five years after the first movie ends, Stephanie is on a book tour promoting "The Faceless Blonde," which is obviously about Emily ... and is shocked, to say the least, when Emily crashes a book signing. In full view of everybody, including Stephanie's agent Vicky (Alex Newell) and Darren, Emily tells Stephanie that her excellent lawyers got her out on appeal and that she's marrying a wealthy and handsome man named Dante Versano (Michele Morrone) on the Italian island of Capri. Will Stephanie, Emily wonders out loud, be the maid of honor?

Obviously, Stephanie feels pretty certain that Emily wants revenge, but she agrees to go to Capri anyway (largely because, well, her book isn't selling as many copies as she'd hoped). Everyone gathers in Capri, including the Versano family — Dante's mother Portia (Elena Sofia Ricci) is particularly terrifying and seems to hate Emily — Sean, Emily's son Nico (Ian Ho, reprising his role from the first movie), Emily's mother Margaret (now played by Elizabeth Perkins), and Emily's particularly possessive aunt Linda (Allison Janney, reuniting with Feig after the two collaborated on his excellent caper comedy "Spy"). I'm actually not going to keep going and spoil "Another Simple Favor," but this movie is a lot crazier than the first in terms of twists; it's not quite as iron-clad in its logic as the first one, but it's still a ton of fun, and you'll still want to pair it with a martini.

"A Simple Favor" is available to stream on Netflix, and "Another Simple Favor" is streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.