The trailer for A Simple Favor dives deep into the mystery surrounding Emily (Blake Lively), the femme fatale in Paul Feig's upcoming thriller. Lionsgate's trailer marketing for the film has focused heavily on the enigmatic nature of Lively's character and that trend continues here. This preview further starts to cast guilt on the people in her life in relation to her sudden disappearance, including her newfound friend Stephanie and her well-to-do (and handsome) husband Sean.

Anna Kendrick costars in A Simple Favor as Stephanie, a mommy blogger, while Sean is played by Henry Golding (costar of next month's Crazy Rich Asians). The film is based on the novel by Darcey Bell and was adapted for the screen by former American Horror Story writer/producer Jessica Sharzer. A Simple Favor further marks Feig's first time calling the shots on a film that he isn't credited for writing since 2013's buddy cop action/comedy, The Heat.

Where the teaser trailers for A Simple Favor are more atmospheric and dance around the film's actual plot, the official trailer cuts right to the heart of the story. Lionsgate has further released a new poster for the movie, which you can check out in the space below.

A Simple Favor is certainly a far cry from Feig's comedies like Bridesmaids, Spy, and Ghostbusters, as the trailers have been keen to point out. Indeed, the film continues to beg comparison to Alfred Hitchcock's collective work and recent best-selling books turned movies like Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, far more than any of Feig's collaborations with Melissa McCarthy and/or Kristen Wiig. At the same time, A Simple Favor resembles the director's previous films, in the way it examines the platonic relationship between two women. Here, of course, that friendship is explored in the context of a much darker genre.

All things considered, A Simple Favor marks an intriguing turning point in Feig's ongoing development, as a filmmaker. His comedies have always been subversive in the way they approach their sub-genres (spy thriller, paranormal horror) with respect to gender, and it stands to reason that A Simple Favor will follow suit in that sense. Feig probably won't be able to beat someone like David Fincher at his own mystery/thriller game, but he's making an admirable go at it, all the same.

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Source: Lionsgate

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