10 Awesome 2018 Movies Everyone Thought Would Suck
9. A Simple Favour
Why It Should've Sucked: Another movie hampered by rubbish marketing, A Simple Favour's trailers painted it as a straight-faced, ultra-trashy airport novel adaptation sure to be directed with utter indifference by the efficient-yet-mediocre Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters).
It's not like the source material is a revered piece of literature, so what were Feig's chances of classing it up?
Why It Was Awesome: Ultimately, the film is a good deal more self-aware than the trailers let on, serving as a self-consciously ridiculous riff on "mommy lit" while simultaneously adapting a novel from the genre.
Most of the credit goes to both Jessica Sharzer's knowing script and two excellent performances from Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively.
The script just keeps layering on more and more absurd - yet devilishly entertaining - revelations, proving unexpectedly compelling all the way to the finish line.
If the trailers suggested we'd all be laughing at A Simple Favour rather than with it, the movie itself was clearly in on the joke and delivered accordingly.