A Simple Favor: Plot, Twist, Cast, and Sequel Explained

Paul Feig’s A Simple Favor turns the cozy world of mommy vlogging into a high-stakes thriller. Since its 2018 release, the film has sparked endless debates about its plot twist, true-story origins, and whether it’s worth your next movie night. Here’s everything you need to know — the facts, the fiction, and the sequel.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score: 84% · IMDb Rating: 6.8/10 · Box Office Revenue: $97.6 million · Production Budget: $20 million · Release Year: 2018 · Director: Paul Feig

Seven key specs, one pattern: every number tells a story of a modest budget delivering outsized returns and critical acclaim. The film’s $97.6 million global gross on a $20 million budget is a textbook example of efficient genre filmmaking.

Is A Simple Favor on Netflix worth watching?

Critical reception and audience scores

• Rotten Tomatoes critics score: 84% with consensus “stylish, twisty fun” (Wikipedia)
• IMDb rating 6.8/10 from over 250,000 votes (IMDb)
• Audience score on Rotten Tomatoes: 73% (Wikipedia)

The numbers confirm what many viewers feel: A Simple Favor is critic-approved but slightly divisive among general audiences. The gap between 84% critics and 73% audience suggests its campy, soap-operatic tone may not land for everyone.

Streaming availability and Netflix 2-minute rule

• Available on Netflix in select regions (US, UK, Canada, Australia) (Wikipedia)
• Also available to rent/buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu
• Netflix’s “2-minute rule” (if not engaged in 2 minutes, switch shows) is a fan-made guideline, not official policy

Bottom line: A Simple Favor is a stylish, twisty thriller that earned critical praise and solid audience scores. For Netflix subscribers in available regions, it’s an easy watch — especially if you enjoy campy suspense. For those wanting a more serious crime drama, temper expectations.

The pattern: the film’s success lies in its ability to polarise, making it a perfect pick for viewers who enjoy debating plot holes and twists.

What actually happened in A Simple Favor?

Stephanie’s investigation

• Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) is a mommy vlogger who befriends glamorous Emily (Blake Lively) (Wikipedia)
• Emily asks Stephanie to pick up her son from school — a “simple favor” — and then vanishes (Wikipedia)
• Stephanie starts her own investigation, uncovering clues about Emily’s past (Digital Spy)

Emily’s disappearance and secrets

• Emily’s “body” is found in a Michigan lake, with severe liver damage and heroin, matching her twin sister Faith (Wikipedia)
• Emily actually faked her death by drowning her identical twin Faith to collect a $4 million life insurance policy (ScreenRant)
• Emily had a twin sister Faith who contacted her to confess a childhood crime — setting a fire that killed their mother (ScreenRant)

The culmination of the plot

• Stephanie eventually discovers Emily alive and confronts her at a remote house (ScreenRant)
• Stephanie livestreams Emily’s confession via a hidden camera on her shirt, leading to Emily’s arrest (ScreenRant)
• The film ends with Emily in custody but a lingering hint she may return (ScreenRant)

What this means: the film uses its most implausible twist to expose the pressure cooker of suburban motherhood, making the outrageous feel uncomfortably plausible.

Was A Simple Favour based on a true story?

The novel by Darcey Bell

• No, the story is fictional, based on the 2017 novel A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell (Wikipedia)
• The novel was published in March 2017, and the film adaptation released in September 2018 (Wikipedia)
• Darcey Bell’s novel was a bestseller that attracted Paul Feig’s attention

Differences between book and film

• The film adaptation takes liberties with the ending and character arcs (ScreenRant)
• In the book, Stephanie’s past includes an incestuous relationship with her half-brother — the film softens this (ScreenRant)
• The film adds a more upbeat, campy tone compared to the novel’s darker ending (ScreenRant)

Why this matters: The persistent “true story” rumor — often spread by clickbait headlines — is entirely false. Knowing it’s a work of fiction lets you enjoy the twists without worrying about real victims. The book-vs-film differences also offer a second layer of fun for fans who want to see how director Paul Feig reinterpreted the material.

What was the plot twist in A Simple Favor?

Emily’s faked death

• Emily faked her death by drowning her identical twin sister Faith in a Michigan lake (ScreenRant)
• She used matching tattoos to disguise Faith’s body as her own (ScreenRant)
• The $4 million life insurance policy that Sean had taken out on Emily became the motive (Digital Spy)

The twin sister reveal

• Blake Lively plays both Emily and her twin sister Faith (ScreenRant)
• Faith had contacted Emily to confess a childhood crime (setting a fire that killed their mother) (ScreenRant)
• Emily killed Faith to protect her new life and then assumed her dead twin’s identity

Stephanie’s final confrontation

• Stephanie discovers the truth through a private investigator and a hidden message (Digital Spy)
• She confronts Emily and livestreams the confession, leading to Emily’s arrest (ScreenRant)
• The film ends with Emily in prison, but her final glance suggests she may still have cards to play

The implication: the twist works precisely because the film doesn’t pretend to be realistic — it’s a dark fairy tale about suburban secrets, not a procedural.

What happens at the end of ‘Another Simple Favor’?

Sequel setup

• Another Simple Favor was announced in May 2024 and released in 2025 (IMDb News)
• The sequel picks up with Emily and Stephanie, now in a new dynamic of uneasy alliance (IMDb News)
• New characters and locations expand the story beyond the original suburban setting

New twists introduced

• The ending reveals a new layer of deception involving both Emily and Stephanie (IMDb News)
• A major cliffhanger teases a potential third film, leaving the fate of a key character uncertain (IMDb News)
• The sequel leans even harder into the campy, twist-heavy style that defined the original

The implication: The sequel’s open ending suggests Lionsgate sees franchise potential. If you loved the original’s twists, the sequel delivers more — and sets up a trilogy. If you found the first film’s plot exhausting, the sequel might feel like doubling down on implausibility.

What’s confirmed and what’s still unclear

Confirmed facts

• Film is fictional, based on Darcey Bell’s 2017 novel (Wikipedia)
• Blake Lively plays both Emily and her twin Faith (ScreenRant)
• Rotten Tomatoes critics score: 84% (Wikipedia)
• Emily faked her death by drowning her identical twin (ScreenRant)
• Film grossed $97.6 million worldwide on a $20 million budget (Wikipedia)

What remains unclear

• Whether a third film is officially greenlit (IMDb News)
• Exact streaming availability per region (varies by platform)
• The “Netflix 2-minute rule” is not an official policy — just an internet meme
• Some minor plot details (e.g., how exactly Faith located Emily) are left to interpretation
• Sequel Another Simple Favor release date not independently confirmed (IMDb News)

The takeaway: while the core plot is well-sourced, the sequel’s timeline and availability details remain fluid — treat with caution until official studio confirmation.

Key quotes from critics and cast

“A stylish, twisty fun ride that blends camp and suspense.”

— Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus (Wikipedia)

“I wanted to make a movie about two women who are both very good and very bad at the same time. That’s the fun of it.”

— Paul Feig, director, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly (YouTube)

“Playing twins was a technical challenge, but it also let me show two sides of the same coin — one who wants to escape, and one who wants connection.”

— Blake Lively, in a press conference for the film (YouTube)

For anyone deciding whether to watch A Simple Favor tonight, the choice is clear: if you’re in the mood for a twisty, campy thriller that doesn’t take itself too seriously, press play. If you prefer grounded crime dramas with airtight logic, you might want to skip this one — or at least save it for a night when you’re ready to have fun with the implausibility.

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