3.4/5.0
A refreshing thriller filled with twists you won’t see coming. The intriguing duo Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick deliver a mesmerizing performance. A Gone Girl-esque mystery with a taste of lewd dark comedy, builds up anxious momentum with every turn of events until every secret is exposed.
Energetic stay-at-home mother Stephanie Smothers spends her time dedicated to her son Miles, volunteering at her son’s school, and running a “mommy vlog.” Stephanie although, enthusiastic and devoted to her son’s school activities, is the major joke and outcast among the rest of the parents. When Miles befriends classmate Nicky, an unexpected door for friendship opens for Stephanie to Nicky’s chic and standoffish mother Emily. Public relations executive to a high-end fashion firm Emily married to ex-best-selling novelist Sean Townsend, stands opposite to Stephanie’s cat covered socks and innocent character. Between countless playdates between the boys, the two find themselves bonding over endless rounds of martini’s and secrets. It isn’t before long the two are best friends, though Stephanie finds Emily’s crazed-lifestyle suggests darker secrets than the ones she leads on. When Sean is out of town for a family emergency Emily asks Stephanie to pick Nicky up from school, while she deals with a job-related crisis. Hours turn into days, while Stephanie grows worried to Emily’s unanswered calls and texts. In her disappearance Stephanie turns to Sean for help and later to the police, but she decides to take the investigation into her own hands.
Spoilers Below
Matchless performances from both charismatic Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively will take you aback. Kendrick delivers her role flawlessly as the lovable, yet naïve character as Stephanie. Back in the Gossip Girl days we’ve seen our fair share of Lively’s dark side but she surpasses the innocent high school drama in this intimidating cold persona. The two contrast each other so ideally that the friendship is much more natural. The buildup of each character’s was done exquisitely without dragging on and with just enough background so as not to bore you. The forceless martini dates loosened up the character’s enough to attain a well-developed backstory that will continue to keep you wondering. With both personable characters, one finds themselves relating to Stephanie’s good-intentioned growth for friendship while also afraid of Emily’s disapproval and wishing to match the stylish take-no-shit confidence of Emily. Impressive work from both female leads that will be difficult to outdo.
While suspenseful buildup carries through the film, it doesn’t maintain a serious theme rather it will have you amused with it’s dark raunchy comedy. Emily’s cool persona establishes the ideal opening for spiteful and cattish humor. The humor never becomes forced or excessive and keeps you entertained until the final act. Some of Emily’s remarks although coarse, don’t stand without reason. Emily continues to push Stephanie out of her perfect shell of innocence, pushing her to live a little. With Stephanie’s clumsy character she is insecure around Emily to avoid any further criticism, sets the perfect stage for some humor in their unique rapport.
As a lover of the underdog, I cherished watching Stephanie become the strong confident detective to uncover Emily’s dark past. We see her go from small hesitant-about-life to putting Emily’s boss in his place. In a way Emily is the best thing that could have happened to Stephanie, constantly challenging her to step out of her comfort zone. The feminine approach in this film feels unconventionally empowering. Including Stephanie’s crucial viewpoint on regarding women apologizing unnecessarily, “It’s a fucked up habit.” The unfolding of the mystery shows the accurate way in which women are clever, yet cruel if pushed to their limits.
This fast-paced mystery sincerely leaves you guessing without overdoing it. Paul Feig never leaves you bored. This film veers off from the traditional thriller genre keeping the right amount of secrecy intact. Although the film is extensive in it’s backstory nothing remains redundant, it becomes essential from the buildup of each character to each revelation. The fast-pace requires you to remain aware of every detail without becoming confusing. The thriller is unparalleled and unpredictable enough to keep you guessing, but not long enough to keep fooling you after the audience has already connected all the dots.
An original thriller that remains fun and unconventional. A must-watch to all mystery and thriller lovers and a re-watch to all those who’ve already seen it.