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    Movie Review

    A Simple Favor pushes glamorous stars from play dates to twisted fates

    Alex Bentley
    Sep 13, 2018 | 12:59 pm
    A Simple Favor pushes glamorous stars from play dates to twisted fates
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    Mixing genres in movies can be a tricky proposition. Certain combos like drama and comedy or horror and comedy tend to work well as the humor gives the audience some relief from the more serious elements of the film. But if filmmakers don’t get the proportions just right, they run the risk of alienating moviegoers.

    That’s what happens in A Simple Favor, a film that squanders most of its considerable assets. Anna Kendrick plays Stephanie Smothers, a mild if tightly-wound mom who starts hanging out with Emily Nelson (Blake Lively) when their sons become friends at school. Emily is Stephanie’s polar opposite – glamorous, career-driven, and inattentive-at-best as a mom.

    Still, the two start to get on famously over copious martinis during play dates. When Emily goes missing one day after asking Stephanie to pick up her son from school, Stephanie’s helper instincts kick into overdrive. In addition to trying to find out what happened to Emily, she starts spending almost her entire time with Emily’s husband, Sean (Henry Golding).

    Directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, the new Ghostbusters) and written by Jessica Sharzer, the movie never seems to find its comfort zone. The story seems to want to go to some very dark places, but whenever it gets too dark, the filmmakers buoy it up with some jokes. It’s a jarring effect that doesn’t let the mystery of the film take full hold.

    Consequently, what actually happened to Emily never seems all that important. Matters aren’t helped by a rushed storyline that tries to push certain twists too quickly or doesn’t adequately explain other elements. By the time the third act rolls around, things have gotten so convoluted that it’s nearly impossible to tell who’s supposed to be good and who’s supposed to be bad.

    Still, the magnetic personalities of Kendrick and Lively keep the movie watchable, as the interplay between the two of them are the best parts of the film. The same can’t be said for Golding, who follows up his landmark role in Crazy Rich Asians with a generic part that does nothing to showcase his skills. Other well-known actors like Linda Cardellini, Jean Smart, and Andrew Rannells are all but wasted in their minor roles.

    Just like oil and water, mixing together a mystery thriller and comedy just doesn’t work, at least in this case. A Simple Favor had everything it needed to succeed, but winds up in the failure pile due to a lack of storytelling awareness.

    Blake Lively in A Simple Favor.

    Blake Lively in A Simple Favor
      
    Photo by Peter Iovino
    Blake Lively in A Simple Favor.
    movies
    news/entertainment

    Drinking News

    Meow Wolf in Grapevine to open new interactive bar experience

    Alex Bentley
    May 20, 2025 | 4:28 pm
    Drink at bar in Meow Wolf Grapevine
    Photo by Imani Thomas
    The new Prime Materia at Meow Wolf Grapevine offers special drinks and a deeper level of storytelling

    Immersive art museum Meow Wolf Grapevine is adding some high-tech sips via Prime Materia, a new in-house bar with drinks, snacks, and interactive art.

    Set to open on Friday, June 20, Prime Materia will be equal parts cocktail bar, snack station, and interactive installation, bringing together those in search of a drink with those in search of an art experience, to uncover secrets through custom drink recipes, environmental details, and conversations with mixologists.

    This new space will operate within the facility's current installation The Real Unreal, blending one-of-a-kind drinks and immersive art. Designed for all ages, it offers a new way to explore and interact at Meow Wolf Grapevine, says general manager Jamie Weaver-Garia.

    "Introducing our first in-exhibition bar allows us to expand how guests engage with The Real Unreal while offering something truly unique to the Dallas-Fort Worth area," Weaver-Garia says.

    The new area will be in the tucked-away zone of Lamp Shop Alley within the Meow Wolf Grapevine exhibition. Cocktails and non-alcoholic elixirs will feature names like the Overclocked Margarita, Elderberry Gin Potion, and Cold Brew Tincture.

    Light bites will include pretzel bits and popcorn in the varieties of Popped Pixels and colorful Kernel Panic, provided by local vendors, with special souvenir gifts for guests who want their drinks with extra flair.

    The space will allow visitors to enjoy a deeper layer of storytelling with lore-infused elixirs, snackable curiosities, and a cast of high-tech bartenders known as the Gizmo_Mancers — alchemical technologists who have mastered the art of brewing drinks from digital code.

    While Prime Materia features a menu of cocktails for those 21 and up, the bar is also stocked with non-alcoholic mocktails, snacks, and interactive art elements for guests of all ages.

    Access to Prime Materia is only available with admission to The Real Unreal. Tickets for Meow Wolf Grapevine are available at meowwolf.com/tickets.

    cocktailstheaterfood-drink
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