A Simple Favor (2018)

It's divisive. Only 54% of audiences liked it, by Google's archived audience score. Critics rated it higher at 76%, but audiences were less impressed.

Stephanie, a dedicated mother and popular vlogger, befriends Emily, a mysterious upper-class woman whose son Nicky attends the same school as Miles, Stephanie's son. When Emily asks her to pick Nicky up from school and then disappears, Stephanie undertakes an investigation that will dive deep into Emily's cloudy past. Wikipedia ↗

A Simple Favor is a 2018 American mystery thriller directed by Paul Feig, based on Darcey Bell's 2017 novel. Anna Kendrick stars as Stephanie Smothers, an excessively perky mommy vlogger who becomes best friends with Emily Nelson, played by Blake Lively, a sophisticated, hard-drinking, foul-mouthed fashion executive — the absolute opposite of Stephanie in every way. When Emily asks for a "simple favor" — picking up her son from school — and then disappears without a trace, Stephanie's investigation reveals that Emily's identity, past, and motivations are far more complex and dangerous than anyone imagined.

Blake Lively's Emily was a magnetic screen presence — stylish, sardonic, and genuinely threatening, delivering lines like profanity-laced fortune cookies while wearing impeccable designer outfits. Paul Feig, known for Bridesmaids and Spy, demonstrated unexpected range with a Hitchcockian thriller that maintained dark comedy undertones. A Simple Favor earned $97 million worldwide on a $20 million budget.