Upamanyu Biswas
‘Another Simple Favor’ brings Stephanie and Emily back together for a second round of adventures, which, as expected, goes awry after the two touch down in Capri, Italy. With numerous twists and turns scattered throughout the narrative, the thriller movie expands on the already-established lore of the McLandens, who find themselves front and center yet again. The sequel introduces a mysterious Italian businessman named Dante Versano into the mix, complicating matters further as Stephanie finds herself back in Emily’s orbit in the stunning neighborhoods of Capri. By the end of the film, Stephanie learns that a bigger conspiracy is at play as several murder victims rack up at the five-star hotel where she is staying. It all leads to a showdown of sorts as she realizes the killer’s identity is one of many mysteries engulfing the people at the wedding. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Another Simple Favor Plot Synopsis
Years after the events of the 2018 movie ‘A Simple Favor,’ Stephanie is getting used to life as a single mother as she prepares her son’s backpack for his school trip to Camp Minnetonka. As she drops Miles at the bus stand, we learn that she has been keeping a radio silence over her online movements, especially in relation to her true crime web show. She was recently involved in tracking down a pedophile who killed himself in front of her after she alerted the cops. The incident left her psychologically scarred, which compelled her to step away from being a mommy influencer for the time being. However, her plans to keep a low profile abruptly end when, during a book reading of her true crime novel ‘The Faceless Blonde,’ Stephanie comes face-to-face with Emily, who is seemingly out of prison. Her escape came about as a result of top-tier legal work by a team of attorneys hired by Dante Versano.
To Stephanie’s surprise, Emily invites the protagonist to Capri, Italy, where the former prison inmate is set to marry Dante. Although hesitant about the offer, Stephanie accepts after being urged by her circle of friends that it would be a good way to boost her social media following and gain more experience for another hit novel. Subsequently, she accepts the offer, flying to Italy in a private plane chartered by Dante for Emily and a collection of other wealthy individuals. After arriving at Capri with Vicky, her book agent, Stephanie realizes that Emily’s marriage to Dante is not looked upon favorably by every person at the hotel, including the latter’s mother, Portia. Additionally, Sean and his son, Nicky, are also present among the guests. Emily is delighted to be reunited with her son after so many years. Her feelings are opposite for Sean, who is incredibly cranky and angry to be there.
As the wedding preparations get underway, the arrival of two new people throws Emily off her orbit – her mother, Margaret, and her aunt, Linda. They are invited by Portia, who seeks to make Emily as uncomfortable as possible by marrying her son. The same is true for Sean, who tells Emily that he is going to petition for the full custody of Nicky once the wedding is over. Emily is distraught by the news, and Stephanie reluctantly comforts her former enemy. Things take a dark turn when Sean is killed by a mysterious person while taking a shower in his hotel room. Stephanie finds the case alarming because it instantly solves Emily’s custody problems with Nicky. However, the answers may not be as simple as she thinks, requiring her to investigate further.
Another Simple Favor Ending: Who is the Murderer?
Following Sean’s death, Stephanie starts to keep a close eye on Emily wherever she goes. However, the mystery remains stubbornly unsolvable until another massive event takes place – the murder of Dante. After his death, the wedding guests, including Portia, believe that Stephanie killed the mafioso. As such, she is put under house arrest and confined to her room while the police investigate matters further. Subsequently, the big plot twist comes to light: the Emily we have been seeing parading around the house is none other than her long-lost triplet, Charity. It was Charity who killed Sean and Dante, using her resemblance to Emily as a way to disguise her wrongdoing. Meanwhile, the real Emily was confined to her room in a drugged state.
When Margaret gave birth to Hope and Faith years ago, she was falsely led to believe that her triplet Charity had died in her womb. In reality, Charity had been stolen by Margaret’s sister, Linda, who raised the girl as her own, using her as a tool in her twisted schemes to extract money from wealthy individuals. She was led to believe that helping Linda with her various cons was her duty and responsibility as her daughter. To that end, Charity grew up alone without anyone to keep her company. Upon reuniting with Emily, she expresses her love, desire, and affection for her sister, which treads on incestual territory. Charity was under the impression that she was helping Emily when she killed Sean because he intended to take full custody of Nick.
Later, Charity murdered Dante under Linda’s orders. By killing the mafioso, all of his wealth and property would be transferred over to Emily, who Charity was posing as, making her the unofficial beneficiary of the mob’s large reserves of cash. However, unbeknownst to everyone except Emily, her relationship with Dante was meant to be purely transactional, allowing Dante to continue his secret affair with Matteo Bartolo. No one knew that Dante and Matteo were a same-sex couple, a relationship that would have been sneered upon in the mafia world. If he married Emily and lived up to the societal expectations surrounding him, Dante could live his life the way he always wanted. Thus, Charity’s murder spree ends up ruining a fantasy story, leaving Emily and Stephanie with the job of cleaning up the mess left behind.
Why Does Charity Kill Linda? What Happens to Her?
After learning the truth behind Charity’s survival, Stephanie and Emily confront Charity and Linda atop the Tiberius cliff. With Nicky taken hostage, the main duo tries to appeal to the better senses of Linda and Charity. Linda explains that her big plan is to let Charity, who is posing as Emily, inherit the wealth left behind by Dante, which would mean that the aunt would have access to enormous amounts of cash and influence. However, the one roadblock to the plan’s success is Emily’s survival. For it to work, Emily needs to die, a decision that does not go over well with Charity. Because Charity loves her sister in an obsessive way, she dissuades Linda from killing Emily. When words are not enough, Charity takes matters into her own hands and shoots Linda before throwing her off the cliff.
Although Charity had a close relationship with Linda, the latter’s murder at her hands seems to suggest that the girl grew up in an environment with a lot of issues. While Hope and Faith had a terrible time living with Margaret, Charity faced an even greater hurdle because Linda used her as a weapon to con people out of money. Ultimately, Charity’s well-being was of little concern to Linda as long as the girl was performing her duties obediently and never deviated from the plan. This becomes abundantly visible when she states that the childhood she provided Charity was far better than the one she would have had if she had grown up alongside Hope, Faith, and Margaret. Her greed blinded her, making her unable to see the inhumanity of her ways and how she had destroyed Charity’s chances of an everyday life.
Once Linda is out of the way, Emily convinces Charity to take the fall for all the crimes in the name of love. She kisses her sister, showcasing her devotion superficially. In the meantime, Stephanie takes away the gun, allowing Emily to coax Charity into giving herself up to the police. The whole plan is predicated upon using Charity’s obsessive desire for Emily against her. Thus, near the end of the movie, we are provided a TV news report where we see Charity taking the blame for all the deaths during the event as she poses as Emily. It allows the real Emily to make a clean break and flee from the authorities. Stephanie also lets Emily go after realizing that her old friend may have changed for the better and no longer has the same pathological issues.
What is Portia’s Favor? Does Emily Join the Mafia?
At the end of ‘Another Simple Favor,’ we get a whole new development as Emily decides to escape into the wind while her triplet takes the fall for the crimes. However, she is still nowhere near free from those seeking her out, such as Portia. In the movie’s final scene, Portia finds Emily at a fountain, reflecting on the past few days. Portia tells Emily that she knows everything about Charity’s identity and what happened to Dante. While she accepts that Emily did not kill her son, she still attributes a modicum of blame to her. As such, Emily must pay back the debt she owes Portia by performing a “simple favor” for her, hinting that Emily’s work in the shadows is far from over and may continue in a potential sequel.
Reading further into the scene, it seems plausible to suggest that Emily is practically recruited into the mafia, making her an integral member of the operation. She already shares a connection to the mob due to her engagement with Dante earlier. However, Portia now considers Emily part of the family, meaning that she intends to use her services for the progress of the criminal empire. We are already aware of Emily’s unpredictability and her skill and talent to con other people. Thus, it would make her an invaluable asset for anyone who might gain leverage on her. That person happens to be Portia at the end of the movie. However, the arrangement may be built on shaky foundations because Emily is not easy to control, especially if she wants to break free on her own.
Who Gets Custody of Nicky?
The final parts also address the complicated situation of Nicky, whose custody is a huge point of contention for Emily. After Sean’s murder earlier, it seems highly likely that Emily will take him in. However, after Charity takes the fall for the crime, it makes it difficult for Emily to provide a normal family life to Nicky, who may go down the same path as hers if she is not careful. To that end, Emily gives up the boy to Stephanie, who takes him in and proceeds to give him an ordinary schooling life alongside her son, Miles. In the end, we see Emily express her gratitude to Stephanie through a phone call, showing that she has accepted her shortcomings and agrees that it is best for Nicky to grow away from her. It also means that Stephanie and Emily are still in each other’s orbits, which could lead to more adventures in the future.
Read More: Where was Another Simple Favor Filmed?
