The problem with Another Simple Favour has nothing to do with its leading ladies.

When A Simple Favour hit cinemas in 2018, it quickly became a cult classic thanks to its campy twist on a suburban thriller.

The film, starring Anna Kendrick as the perky mum blogger Stephanie, and Blake Lively as the enigmatic Emily, transported audiences with its ridiculous plot, shocking twists, style inspo and the electric chemistry between its leads.

The movie, inspired by the 2017 novel by Darcey Bell, provided pure escapism, starting as a noir thriller before morphing into a black comedy and a must-watch for fans of subversive cinema.

For me, it was basically everything I love — a twisty thriller about suburban housewives with Blake Lively in a series of perfectly tailored suits — packaged into one movie.

Its box office success and strong critical reception only fuelled anticipation for more.

And more we got! The sequel, Another Simple Favour, picks up several years after the fallout of the first film, with Emily's prison stint behind her and Stephanie now a semi-successful true crime novelist.

This time, the action shifts to the sun-drenched island of Capri in Italy, where Emily is set to marry a wealthy Italian businessman.

Watch the trailer. Post continues after video.

Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively reprise their iconic roles, joined once again by Henry Golding as Sean, Andrew Rannells as Darren, and other familiar faces from the original.

The sequel welcomes new cast members, including Oscar-winner Allison Janney, Alex Newell and Elizabeth Perkins, adding even more star power to the mix.

With Paul Feig returning as director, the stakes were especially high for Another Simple Favour to bring the goods.

I had my reservations about a sequel being shaped around the question 'what if they go on holiday?' because I've been burned before with Sex and the City 2 (the horror) but thankfully, my worries were (mostly) unfounded.

It's action-packed from the beginning: Emily gatecrashes Stephanie's book signing to ask her (or well, blackmail her) to be maid of honour for her dreamy destination wedding in Capri.

From here, both of their lives quickly spiral into chaos when a murder disrupts the big day. Oh no!

The gang is back together, and in Italy! Image: Prime Video.

As expected, Lively and Kendrick shine just as bright in the sequel.

Blake Lively is delightfully deranged with her character upping the ante when it comes to how brash and unfiltered she is. Those years in prison have birthed a woman unconcerned with other people's feelings, and she drops more swear words than a sailor.

Emily has traded her poise and composure for a level of psychopathy that could only be reeled back in with the grace of an actor like Lively.

And yes, her fashion is as outrageously over-the-top and fabulous as expected.

But the standout is Anna Kendrick, which is no small feat considering just how small Anna's feet are (get it!) in the shadow of Blake's commanding presence.

I'm just going to say it: Anna Kendrick is one of the greatest comedic talents of our time. Every line she delivers is instantly iconic and she brings a level of sincerity to her role with material that would be downright ridiculous and trite in less capable hands.

In the sequel, Golding's character is looser, drunker and err… nuder. Yep, you know the sequel has nailed the assignment the second that Henry's shower scene begins. Not only did Golding seem to be having so much fun in the sequel, he brought a more layered take to the character.

Henry Golding is so much fun in this. Image: Prime Video.

Sadly, I can't say the same for Michael Morrone as Dante, the Italian mafia heir and Emily's fiancé. While he injects a lot of fun and silliness, his character comes across as rather one-note, and he's underutilised in this film.

But above all, it's a movie about gals, as Allison Janney and Elizabeth Perkins are both standouts.

Stephanie and Emily's scenes are predictably the best of the film. A trick scene showing Stephanie floating face down in a pool is one of many laugh-out-loud moments.

The movie leans heavily on wink-wink references and silly true crime tropes, which worked in the first film, but the second lacks the stakes and suspense to effectively balance the contrasting tones.

There's just a lot going on in this movie.

After a strong start, Another Simple Favor quickly becomes bogged down by constant twists and an overstuffed narrative, with too many new characters who are underdeveloped, and a contrived mafia subplot that does nothing to serve the story or keep the audience engaged.

At times, it felt like two totally different movies.

I don't care about some random Italian family on the opposite side of the earth from suburban America. I'd happily watch Kendall and Lively trading insults while sipping fruity cocktails and wearing designer swimwear in a pool instead.

The two-hour running time is similar to the first film, but either my attention span is dwindling or there was too much filler in the sequel, because this film… felt long. Like, painfully long at times.

A tighter 1 hour and 40 minutes would have made for a more enjoyable film, leaning more on the addictive dynamic between Lively and Kendrick and less on all the bonkers Italian mafia stuff, nonsense murder plots or deeply uncomfortable incest storyline (yes, they went there).

But if you can stay in your seat long enough, it's still worth the watch. It might be flawed, but it's so much fun.

Sure, it hasn't quite captured the magic of the first film, but with hilariously irreverent dialogue, a catwalk of Italiano fashion and beautiful Capri as its backdrop, Another Simple Favour is simply a damn good time.

Feature image: Prime Video.