Critics ‘genuinely shocked’ by Blake Lively’s new Amazon Prime movie as it ‘defies expectations’

Blake Lively's first movie since the release of It Ends With Us - and its surrounding legal drama - has managed to impress critics.

As you'll remember, Lively starred alongside Justin Baldoni in the Netflix adaptation of Colleen Hoover's controversial book of the same name.

The movie dropped in August, and by December, the pair were locked in a legal battle - which is still very much ongoing, and heading for court next March.

In the meantime, though, Lively's had another project to focus on.

Another Simple Favor, releasing exclusively via Amazon Prime Video, drops on Thursday, May 1.

The former Gossip Girl star and Woman of the Hour's Anna Kendrick reunite to front the movie, a sequel to 2018's A Simple Favor.

Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively reprise their roles for Another Simple Favor (Amazon Prime Video)

Directed by Paul Feig, the first instalment followed single mom and small-town vlogger Stephanie Smothers (Kendrick), as she set out to solve the disappearance of her friend, fashion PR director Emily Nelson (Lively).

Another Simple Favor, however, is set on the stunning of Capri, Italy, for a very special occasion.

Emily is set to wed her businessman fiance - at an extravagant ceremony, no less.

Stephanie is invited to the big day, and agrees to travel to Italy to complete the line-up as maid of honor.

But Emily's wedding is interrupted by a series of unfortunate events - while Stephanie suspects not everything is as it seems.

Critics' reviews have already come rolling in, and so far the comedy-thriller has racked up a respectable 81 percent rating via Rotten Tomatoes.

Tessa Smith from Mama's Geeky reckoned the sequel is 'not as good as the first film,' but caveated that she was 'genuinely shocked when the killer was revealed,' adding: "So it accomplished what it set out to do."

Collider's Nate Richard wrote: "Similar to the original, Another Simple Favor manages to defy your expectations.

"It's a sequel that never feels hellbent on just repeating the same plot beats as the first."

Mashable's Kristy Puchko summarizes: "If your favorite bits of A Simple Favor was Lively embracing her inner bad girl and delivering face and looks? You'll cherish this divinely twisted thriller."

Another Simple Favor launches on May 1 (Amazon Prime Video)

As mentioned previously, this all comes amid Lively's ongoing legal battle with It Ends With Us director and co-star, Baldoni.

It all began in December, when Lively filed a lawsuit accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and a smear PR campaign against her - accusations Baldoni denies.

The director, 41, went on to counter sue Lively for civil extortion, defamation and invasion of privacy.

He is also suing Lively’s husband Ryan Reynolds, their publicist Leslie Sloane and Sloane's PR firm, Vision PR in a $400 million counter lawsuit.

Yet in March, Reynolds filed a motion to be dismissed from Baldoni's counter lawsuit.

The actors are due to appear in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on March 9, 2026.

UNILAD has previously contacted Lively and Baldoni's representatives for comment.

Another Simple Favour debuts on Prime Video on Thursday May 1.