Film
A Simple Favor
Paul Feig's glossy suburban thriller pairs a nervy mommy-vlogger with a martini-swilling fashion exec who vanishes, and the whole thing swings wildly between Hitchcockian noir and outright camp. It's twisty, stylish, occasionally ridiculous on purpose, and clearly having a blast with itself. Good for anyone who wants a mystery with a wink rather than a knife to the ribs.
If you liked this
Gone Girl2014
The gold standard for 'trust no one' marriage thrillers—Fincher turns a missing-wife case into a scalpel-sharp satire of performance, media and gender roles. Rosamund Pike's chilly control rivals Lively's.
But Much colder and crueler than Favor's playful tone; the satire cuts deep and won't let you off with a wink.

Promising Young Woman2020
Another woman weaponizing charm and appearances, but here the stakes are moral reckoning rather than mystery—candy-colored revenge with real teeth, and Carey Mulligan is magnetic.
But Angrier and more purposeful than Favor's frothy tone; expect discomfort, not just fun twists.

Sharp Objects2018
Amy Adams unravels a small-town secret with the same 'glamorous woman, buried past' DNA, stretched across eight hours of dread and gorgeous, humid atmosphere.
But Slow-burn and genuinely bleak—no camp, no jokes, just a long soak in trauma.

The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Diabolique1955
Same architecture as Favor: two women bound by a man and a body, each performing friendship while running her own con, decades before it became a genre staple.
Before Gone Girl, before Favor, there was this French noir about a wife and mistress plotting together, each hiding more than the other realizes. Ice-cold, elegant, and it invented tricks modern thrillers still steal.
But Black-and-white, subtitled, and paced like 1955—patience required for a payoff Favor delivers twice as fast.

More like this (8)
Big Little Lies2017
Wealthy mothers, immaculate lawns, one enormous secret—the same wine-and-vengeance energy as Favor, with an incredible ensemble cast chewing every scene.
But More prestige-drama than romp; the humor is drier and the stakes land heavier.

Knives Out2019
If you loved untangling Emily's lies, this is a masterclass in plotting—a whodunit as clever with structure as Favor is with tone.
But No femme-fatale seduction here; it's puzzle-box mystery, not psychological thriller.

The Girl on the Train2016
Another unreliable narrator peering into someone else's marriage, fueled by the same commuter-belt secrets and boozy paranoia driving the mystery.
But Less fun, more melancholic; the twists feel heavier and the pacing sags in the middle.

Widows2018
Steve McQueen directs women taking control of a mess men left behind—stylish, tense, and full of the same 'who can you trust' current running through Favor.
But Grittier and more socially serious; it trades style for grounded stakes and loses the playfulness.

Fatal Attraction1987
The original toxic-woman-enters-a-marriage thriller—Glenn Close is terrifying and unforgettable, the template Favor is quietly riffing on.
But Dated gender politics and a much darker, more punishing ending than anything here.

The Undoing2020
Another glossy Manhattan mystery about a woman whose comfortable life explodes when someone she trusted vanishes—same elegant surfaces hiding rot underneath.
But Slower pace and a finale many found less satisfying than the build promised.

Search Party2016
Same engine—an ordinary person obsessing over a vanished, glamorous-seeming friend and getting pulled into darker territory—but rendered as anxious comedy instead of style.
A missing acquaintance, amateur sleuthing, and moral rot dressed as millennial comedy—it takes Favor's premise and cranks the absurdity all the way up.
But Mumblecore pacing and cringe comedy won't suit anyone wanting Favor's glossy visual pleasures.

Three Identical Strangers2018
Trades Favor's invented duplicity for a real one—the same fascination with people who aren't who they claim to be, but here the stakes are human and irreversible.
A true story that unspools with Favor's exact reveal rhythm—hidden identities, buried pasts, a jaw-drop every twenty minutes—except none of it is fiction.
But Real grief and ethical horror replace the fun; this one lingers uncomfortably instead of delighting.

People
Cast
Anna KendrickStephanie Smothers
Blake LivelyEmily Nelson
Henry GoldingSean Townsend
Rupert FriendDennis Nylon
Linda CardelliniDiana Hyland
Bashir SalahuddinDetective Summervile
Danielle BourgonGrace, Stephanie's Mom
Kelly McCormackStacy
Andrew RannellsDarren
Ian HoNicky Nelson
Joshua SatineMiles Smothers
Paul JurewiczBobby Chelkowsky
Directing
- Paul FeigDirector
- Myron HoffertFirst Assistant Director
- Derek RobertsonScript Coordinator
- Daniela SaioniScript Supervisor
Writing
- Darcey BellNovel
- Jessica SharzerScreenplay
- Paul FeigWriter
Production
- Josephine OchejAssistant Production Coordinator
- Allison JonesCasting
- Emily BuntynCasting Assistant
- Sarah McDonaldCasting Assistant
- Ben HarrisCasting Associate
- Jonathan OliveiraCasting Associate
- Joaquin Diego PrangeLocation Manager
- Marty DejczakLocation Manager
- Dee SchukaPost Production Accountant
- Jessie HendersonProducer
- Paul FeigProducer
- Justin KirshenbaumProduction Assistant
- Elspeth CassarProduction Coordinator
- Regina RobbProduction Manager
- Jen GillespieProduction Secretary
- David MagdaelPublicist
- Lisa ShamataPublicist
- Julia HutchisonSecond Assistant Accountant
- Karla Trujillo VillonTravel Coordinator
Recommended by
Gone Girl, Knives Out, The Undoing, Malice, 365 Days, The Housemaid, The Girl on the Train, Saltburn, Extracurricular, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Deathtrap