Movies

Blake Lively’s Movie Disaster: Scathing Reviews from Top Hollywood Outlets

BBG News

The latest news regarding Blake Lively is that her new film, Another Simple Favor, has received harsh criticisms from two prominent Hollywood publications.

The movie is a sequel to her successful 2018 crime comedy “A Simple Favor,” in which she teamed up with Anna Kendrick under the guidance of director Paul Feig, who’s famous for “Bridesmaids.

Leading up to its premiere, the promotion of Another Simple Favor has been eclipsed by the escalating legal dispute between Blake and Justin Baldoni, who worked together on the previous year’s drama It Ends With Us as co-star and director respectively.

To make matters worse, there’s a continuous flow of speculation suggesting that Blake and Anna don’t see eye to eye off-camera.

Following its debut at the South By Southwest Film Festival a week ago, the reviews are in, and unfortunately, two significant critiques haven’t been favorable.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Another Simple Favor” was criticized as being ‘frivolous and occasionally tedious’, while Variety pointed out that it lacked originality, commenting that it ‘unnecessarily prolongs itself.’

As a lifestyle expert, I can share my perspective on this cinematic observation: When it comes to movies, I often find that sequels don’t manage to surpass the brilliance of their precursors. The movie in question seems to follow this pattern, failing to stand out as an exception that defies the rule.

Lovia Gyarkie, a critic from the trade publication, described the film as ‘frequently quite absurd and occasionally challenging,’ yet commended the ‘strong on-screen relationship’ between Blake and Anna.

She mentioned that the film is enjoyable primarily due to the relationship between Blake and Anna’s characters. However, she lamented that the development of these characters and their friendship could have been more extensive.

According to The Hollywood Reporter’s review, Another Simple Favor was criticized for focusing too heavily on comedic elements to sustain its storyline, and the dialogue used in the script was found to be excessively explanatory, which made certain scenes feel formulaic or robotic.

According to veteran critic Owen Gleiberman, writing for Variety, the film is simultaneously entertaining yet somewhat tedious. He observed that it felt more like hard work than a display of intelligence.

In a more simplified manner, he stated that the upcoming movie, similar to a slightly lighter version of “Knives Out 2” blended with an animated take on “White Lotus,” serves as a sequel to the original film but delivers repetitive elements without enough novelty or balance.

In my perspective as a lifestyle connoisseur, I find that this latest film seems to deviate from its predecessor in a unique manner. Instead of a raw, authentic narrative, it appears to be an intricate web of kitschy crime mechanics, where the performers seem to be merely enacting their roles.

In the meantime, Blake hasn’t been able to quell the commotion about the movie, as she recently dropped a hint suggesting there may be tension between her and Anna.

There’s a lot of talk suggesting some strain exists between Blake, aged 37, and Anna, aged 39. Their attendance at the SXSW Film Festival seemed to add more fuel to this rumor mill.

Anna provided an enigmatic reply when questioned about her experience collaborating with Blake, during the heated ongoing legal dispute with Justin Baldoni.

In her recent Instagram post, it appears that Blake tried to dispel any whispers of discord. However, there was an unmistakable hint suggesting everything might not be smooth sailing.

Last Tuesday evening, I gleefully showcased a collection of snaps from my recent work adventure in Austin – the movie promotion tour – and couldn’t help but express my heartfelt appreciation for collaborating with every one of you, right there in the caption!

At the SXSW Film Festival on Friday, she showcased photos of her fellow actor Anna and the movie’s director Paul Feig, however, none of those images captured them during the making of the film.

Besides Michelle Morrone, age 34, appearing in photos of them playing ping-pong, all of the group photographs only included members from Blake’s own squad.

Among the twenty photos taken, it was just one where Anna appeared alongside Blake on stage during the SXSW Film Festival on Friday, as opposed to any images capturing Blake’s social evenings with her team.

While director Paul, aged 62, could be seen signing autographs during the festival, he wasn’t spotted in any other photos capturing Blake’s activities throughout Austin.

Blake posted a collection of photos showcasing her dining experiences throughout the promotional period. However, these were not her fellow actors joining her, but instead her public relations and film crew members.

In the photos, Blake is captured along with her manager Justin Grey Stone, assistant Sophia Travaglia, talent agent Mike DeVeau, makeup artist Kristofer Buckle, and Ryan Reynolds’ publicist Jami Kandel, as well as a few others.

Despite the clear hint, Blake attempted to dismiss rumors about strain by expressing admiration in a caption: “Last post from Austin for @asimplefavor. I’m aware of my good fortune to collaborate with every one of you.

I’m grateful to my friends and family for turning the weekend into something extraordinary. Now, it’s time to slip back into my comfy pants. What a blast we had!

TopMob has contacted Blake’s representatives for comment. 

In the course of our movie project “It Ends With Us,” I’ve asserted that Mr. Baldoni behaved inappropriately towards me, as his character was my abusive partner on screen. Furthermore, I’ve accused him of orchestrating a malicious campaign to tarnish my reputation and undermine the validity of my allegations.

Director Paul of Another Simple Favor aimed to quell speculations about potential friction between Blake and Anna, as gossip persisted.

Or, in a more conversational tone:
Paul, the director of Another Simple Favor, worked to dispel any whispers of disagreements between Blake and Anna, as rumors continued to swirl.

If a YouTube personality asserted on X that Blake allegedly felt too nervous to stroll the red carpet alongside Anne at the Another Simple Favor premiere on Friday, Paul countered by saying: ‘Actually, that’s not accurate.’

During an interview with People, he additionally expressed enthusiasm by stating that creating the movie was incredibly enjoyable, while denying any rumors of strife on set.

He expressed that the initial project was exceptional for him. It left an indelible impression, as if he often found himself thinking, “Wow, I really enjoy collaborating with both of them,” he stated.

At the premiere, the two actresses strolled down the red carpet individually, which is customary, but they later united for joint photography sessions.

When queried regarding collaborating with Anna once more on the follow-up to their successful 2018 thriller “A Simple Favor”, Blake praised her fellow actor by stating she was ‘simply outstanding’.

Yet, when Entertainment Tonight posed a comparable query to Anna, she opted to steer clear of any drama by offering a mysterious reply instead.

Instead of saying “She simply replied: ‘Oh, you know…’ before walking away to take a selfie with a fan, sending fans into overdrive on social media,” it could be rephrased as follows: “She responded casually by saying ‘Oh, you know,’ then went to snap a selfie with an admirer. This sparked frenzy among her followers online.

During an interview on the red carpet with Variety, Anna inquired innocently about the uproar, asking: “What’s going on? What transpired?

She then added: ‘I did ayahuasca and the last year of my life has been gone.’

Glancing over her shoulder, she commented: “I’ve heard the film is fantastic,” choosing not to reveal more.

In “Another Simple Favor,” the movie, Blake and Emily reappear playing their roles as Emily and Stephanie, the primary actresses from the initial suspenseful film.

This time, they are traveling to Italy for Emily’s wedding to a wealthy Italian businessman. 

Somehow, amidst all the wedding preparations, murder and betrayal are also on the ‘to do’ list.

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2025-03-14 03:26

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