Blake Lively Slammed Over Bizarre Incest Twist in ‘Another Simple Favor’
Let’s add self-incest to the list of cinematic absurdities this decade. Critics are openly roasting Blake Lively’s thriller Another Simple Favor after a head-scratching sequence makes it look more like a Lifetime misfire than an A-list mystery. According to the New York Post, viewers spotted a montage so awkward that social media erupted: one frame literally shows Lively’s character seemingly involved in an incestuous encounter with herself. Rotten Tomatoes reviewers chimed in, calling the moment “painfully contrived” and “worse than any cheaply produced TV movie.”
Viewers first flagged the scene on Twitter, accusing director Paul Feig of veering off a suspenseful cliff into campy cringe. A dozen users pointed out that the mirror-effect flashback was meant to symbolize Emily’s fractured psyche, but instead it reads like a misguided homage to shock value. Vulture’s film desk criticized the editing choice, labeling it “high concept gone horribly wrong,” while The Daily Mail noted the timing—this bizarre twist appears just as the plot reaches its most predictable double-cross. If you thought the real scandal was brand endorsements or wardrobe reveals, think again.
“Of course this happened,” muttered one fan, echoing the general sense of doomscroll disbelief. After all, Lively’s performance as the glamorous yet inscrutable Emily in Simple Favor has already drawn ire for being too stylized. Now she’s saddled with the title of “incest queen,” a far cry from the fashion-icon press tour that once dominated headlines. Deadline insiders admit the studio is quietly revisiting the final edit for streaming release, hoping to soften the backlash before it fries the film’s digital-only afterlife.
This isn’t the first time a mainstream flick has flirted with taboo just to generate buzz—remember the last horror reboot that tried anything for clicks? Predictable patterns, folks. Critics warn that this will age like expired milk. Box office returns were already tepid, and now the streaming audience might skip it as a “so-bad-it’s-sad” slog. Industry watchers tell Variety that the ripple effect could damage Lively’s brand partnerships and leave Paul Feig’s carefully curated comeback plans in tatters.
Let’s file this under “Why do we even pay attention anymore?” The entire debacle serves as a stark reminder that Hollywood’s desperation for “bold” twists often backfires into headline fodder for the wrong reasons. At this point, should we even pretend to be surprised? Bookmark this for the inevitable “I told you so” moment when everyone rediscovers just how low the bar can go.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, Rotten Tomatoes, Vulture, The Daily Mail
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
