Aqib Rasheed
The opening day of the 2025 South By Southwest Festival was buzzy, to say the least. Stars—the likes of Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick, Seth Rogen, Kathryn Hahn, Allison Brie, Dave Franco, etc.—were roaming the streets of downtown Austin throughout the day. The presence of Lively also brought out a protestor, who was riling up support for Justin Baldoni and asking patrons in line to interview for their YouTube channel. Much has been said online about the answers both Kendrick and Lively gave on the red carpet as well, and this is all before Another Simple Favor opened to a lukewarm reception in front of a very excited crowd. The festival is ongoing, but March 8th is the date everyone will remember.
Here are some brief thoughts on the two opening day screenings of SXSW, Another Simple Favor and Together.
Another Simple Favor
In 2018, ace comedy director Paul Feig teamed up with Lively and Kendrick to make the salacious and trashy (complimentary) A Simple Favor. That movie was a ton of fun, featuring great twists and excellent dark comedy. Even though the film had a pretty complete ending, the world and characters Feig created could have prompted an interesting sequel. The key phrase in the preceding sentence is “could have” because, 6.5 years later, we do get a sequel and it is a major step down from its predecessor.
By making the sequel bigger in every aspect, Feig loses all the charm from A Simple Favor in Another Simple Favor. The Italian Riviera locales are stunning and every cast member is dressed to the nines, but the glitz and glamor aren’t enough to make up for an uninteresting, convoluted, and baffling story. It’s a shame, because Kendrick and Lively still have that crackling chemistry from the first movie, but Feig isn’t able to conjure up an interesting or coherent screenplay that propels their journey.
Even though Another Simple Favor is only three minutes longer than the prequel, it feels incredibly bloated, and the viewer feels the runtime in its final third. This is also when the wheels come off the train. Up until then, the movie is average but pretty watchable. Feig decides to add a twist that simply does not work and, arguably, is very uncomfortable. I won’t spoil it, but it feels like something you would see in a Ryan Murphy production. The crowd at SXSW was clueless on if they were supposed to laugh, cringe, or some combination of both.
For an opening night film, Another Simple Favor was quite disappointing. Feig is a talented director and is responsible for some of the funniest movies of the past 20 years. This outing is one of his weaker works and, if I could ask him for a favor, I would request he creates something original.
Together
Where Another Simple Favor failed to pump up the crowd at SXSW, the midnight audience could not have been more raucous or hyped while watching Michael Shank’s Together, starring Alison Brie and Dave Franco. Part body-horror and part domestic drama, this movie was an absolute blast and will be a staple of midnight screenings for years to come. Viewers were screaming, laughing, hooting, and hollering throughout the movie. This is the type of movie SXSW needs, and this screening will be one I remember for a long time.
The fact that Brie and Franco are in a real-life relationship adds so much to this story of a couple who are drifting apart and move away to a secluded house in the woods, just as spooky things start to happen. Both actors are game for whatever twisted set piece Shank has created and the film does not shy away from being immensely gross. Not to mention, Together features some truly frightening jump scares that are clever and feel earned. It definitely seems that body horror is having a moment, with The Substance winning an Oscar and being nominated for a bunch, and Together is sure to make a fan of many horror fanatics.
The special effects are expertly done, and the film smartly stays away from the trauma angle that seems to be plaguing most horror movies. Brie is quite good throughout, but Franco’s performance is probably the weakest part of the film. His dialogue delivery is stiff and he seems a bit uncomfortable in the horror world. The thrills and scares keep you invested, though, during its swift 102-minute runtime.
It’s best to go in blind when seeing Together. That will allow you to have the best experience on watching this messed-up, gory, and oddly sweet horror movie.
