A Simple Favor
2018
**
Director: Paul Feig
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Linda Cardellini, Dustin Milligan, Jean Smart, Rupert Friend, Eric Johnson
Single mother Stephanie begins to spend time with Emily, the mother of her son's classmate, who then suddenly disappears. The peppy and productive Stephanie somehow makes a living running a vlog and the snarky and inaccessible Emily drowns her unhappiness in alcohol. Only in Hollywood would these two sketchy characters become friends. This second rate Gone Girl rehash is loosely based on Darcey Bell's 2017 novel. The book was a thriller, but Jessica Sharzer's tonally confused screenplay cannot decide if it wants to be a drama or a comedy. The resulting film is implausible, mechanical, and dull.
