A Simple Favor – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

A Simple Favor

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2018

28%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A stylish, R-rated thriller where mommy vlogging meets murder mystery—definitely not a family movie night pick.

6.7/10

84%

6.6

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A Simple Favor

movie

R, 2018

28%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A stylish, R-rated thriller where mommy vlogging meets murder mystery—definitely not a family movie night pick.

6.7

84%

6.6

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6.7/10

84%

6.6

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Screenwise Verdict

Let's be crystal clear: this is NOT a family movie, despite the PTA pickup setting. A Simple Favor is a slick, adult thriller that happens to feature mothers as the main characters, but it's packed with mature content—think murder, sex, manipulation, and a whole lot of martinis.

For parents looking for something to watch after the kids are asleep? It's a fun, stylish romp with good performances and enough twists to keep you guessing. The dark comedy angle works, and it's refreshingly cynical about suburban perfection and mommy blogger culture.

But for your Screenwise library of kid-appropriate content? Hard pass. This scores low across WISE metrics because it's fundamentally adult entertainment with themes and content that would be inappropriate and potentially disturbing for anyone under 17. Save this one for date night or a solo viewing session when the kids are definitely, definitely asleep.

Age Fit

This is strictly adult content, appropriate for 17+ only. Despite featuring moms and school pickups, this is a dark, twisty thriller with R-rated content throughout—not a cozy mystery.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

This is a dark thriller-comedy featuring manipulation, deception, and morally ambiguous characters. The tone is cynical and adult, with themes of infidelity, fraud, and murder. While stylishly done, it models toxic relationships and dishonesty rather than kindness or cooperation. Not emotionally healthy viewing for younger audiences.

Imaginative

The film blends thriller and dark comedy in an unusual way, creating a stylish mystery with unexpected twists. The genre mashup is creative and the narrative structure keeps viewers guessing. However, it's primarily a consumption experience rather than something that invites creative expression or exploration beyond the viewing.

Safe

This is an R-rated thriller with significant adult content. Based on genre conventions and the dark premise, likely contains strong language, sexual content, violence, alcohol use, and mature themes including murder and fraud. The mysterious disappearance and 'cloudy past' suggest potentially disturbing revelations. Definitely not appropriate for unexpected viewing by children.

Enriching

While entertaining as a stylish thriller, the film offers limited developmental value. It might spark discussions about trust, friendship boundaries, and social media authenticity (given the vlogger protagonist), but the morally gray characters and cynical tone don't provide strong ethical models. More escapist entertainment than meaningful growth opportunity.

Parent Info

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Why It Might Be Great

For adults: A clever genre blend of dark comedy and thriller that subverts suburban mom stereotypes
Stylish direction and twisty plot that keeps mature viewers engaged
Could spark conversations about social media authenticity and performative parenting (for older teens/adults)
Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick deliver entertaining performances in morally complex roles

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What to Watch For

R-rated content including likely sexual content, strong language, violence, and alcohol use
Dark themes of murder, fraud, manipulation, and infidelity—not remotely kid-appropriate
Morally ambiguous characters who model deception and toxic behavior
The 'mystery thriller' genre means potentially disturbing plot revelations

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think people present different versions of themselves online versus in real life?"
"What are the warning signs of a toxic friendship?"
"How far would you go to help a friend, and where would you draw the line?"

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