SXSW 2025: First Reactions to Blake Lively - Anna Kendrick Sequel ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR

Courtesy Amazon MGM Studios

The SXSW Festival is underway in Austin, Texas, and reactions to some of the high-profile world premieres are starting to arrive.

Friday night, Amazon MGM Studios world premiered their mystery thriller ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR, which is a sequel to 2018’s A Simple Favor.

Another Simple Favor is directed by Paul Feig and written by Jessica Sharzer and Laeta Kalogridis. Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Joshua Satine, and Ian Ho reprise their roles from the first film, with Michele Morrone, Elena Sofia Ricci, Elizabeth Perkins, Alex Newell, and Allison Janney new to the cast.

In the film, Stephanie Smothers and Emily Nelson reunite on the beautiful island of Capri, Italy for Emily’s extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman. Along with the glamorous guests, expect murder and betrayal to RSVP for a wedding with more twists and turns than the road from the Marina Grande to the Capri town square.

Another Simple Favor will begin streaming on Amazon’s Prime Video platform on May 1st, 2025. You can find the release date on our streaming calendar.

Here are the first reactions and reviews out of SXSW:

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‘Another Simple Favor’ Review: Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively Return for Paul Feig’s Silly and Sometimes Trying Sequel https://t.co/5PsnA8ERZR

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 8, 2025

Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick return for ‘Another Simple Favor,’ a sequel that is so fun until it gets so dumb. Our review. https://t.co/CBBg9Oklhl

— New York Magazine (@NYMag) March 8, 2025

#SXSW: Paul Feig's sequel takes the formula of lies, deception, murder, and incest that fans came to expect, and threw mafia feuds into the mix for good measure.

Read our review for "Another Simple Favor" here: https://t.co/U4KkHyYxCg pic.twitter.com/getUog5T3H

— IndieWire (@IndieWire) March 8, 2025

Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively's sequel "Another Simple Favor" is like "Knives Out" crossed with a cartoon gloss on "White Lotus." But unlike the first movie, this bad-moms noir drags on.

Read the full review: https://t.co/gjC5fMw05K

— Variety (@Variety) March 8, 2025

Blake Lively is back to terrorize Anna Kendrick with Another Simple Favor (SXSW Review) #BlakeLively #AnnaKendrick #AnotherSimpleFavor https://t.co/N5eL3BQgYB

— Paste Magazine (@PasteMagazine) March 8, 2025

'Another Simple Favor' Review: Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick Dive Headfirst Into Soap Opera Territory with Paul Feig’s Entertaining Sequel https://t.co/YCLP42DgqN

— Collider (@Collider) March 8, 2025

'Another Simple Favor' #SXSW Review: Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively return for uninspired sequel. By @TimGrierson https://t.co/pafvlQ0o2v

— Screen International (@Screendaily) March 9, 2025

Another Simple Favor takes its tongue-in-cheek momcore satire to new visual heights by moving the action to coastal Italy. All the best parts of the original are also present here, including Lively and Kendrick’s sparkling chemistry and killer costume design. Our review:… pic.twitter.com/3szz1IeVaN

— IGN (@IGN) March 9, 2025

‘Another Simple Favor’ Review: Cartoonish, Over-the-Top Sequel Lacks the Lust and Vigor of Original https://t.co/xYNcLmRh7y

— TheWrap (@TheWrap) March 8, 2025

ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR is "just enough escapist fun for most viewers to ignore the nonsense."

Read @Brian_Tallerico's #SXSW review: https://t.co/vJKH2Rrh0u

— RogerEbert.com (@ebertvoices) March 8, 2025

ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR: Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively have a ball in Paul Feig’s bigger, though not better, sequel that triples down on the incest jokes while somehow feeling twice as long. Could've used a whole lot more of Henry Golding.

My #SXSW review: https://t.co/S7OKdFHi1B pic.twitter.com/01sG9wcPUH

— Chase 'Hutch' Hutchinson @ SXSW (@EclecticHutch) March 8, 2025