We all remember the first time we saw Stephanie Smothers' vlog. Anna Kendrick, playing the most aggressively cheerful mommy blogger in Connecticut, staring into the lens with that desperate "I’m fine" energy. Then Blake Lively walks in as Emily Nelson—martinis, sharp suits, and a level of chic that feels almost violent. Paul Feig’s 2018 neo-noir A Simple Favor was a fever dream of suburban betrayal and gin. But if you only watched the theatrical cut, you actually missed some of the darkest, weirdest beats that explain how these two women ended up in such a toxic orbit.
Honestly, the A Simple Favor deleted scenes aren't just fluff. They change the texture of the movie.
Usually, when a director cuts a scene, it’s for pacing. A movie is a machine; if a gear makes it run at 125 minutes instead of a tight 110, it goes. But in this case, the omitted moments add layers to Emily’s sociopathy and Stephanie’s gradual descent into the "cool girl" abyss. You can find these on the Lionsgate Blu-ray or the 4K Ultra HD releases, and they are essential viewing for anyone trying to figure out if Stephanie was actually the hero or just a different kind of monster.
The Most Telling A Simple Favor Deleted Scenes You Never Saw
There is this one specific sequence titled "Dipping a Toe" that really should have stayed in. It happens early on. Stephanie is starting to get comfortable in Emily’s massive, cold, glass-walled house. In the theatrical version, the transition from "nervous fan-girl" to "best friend" feels fast. In the deleted footage, we see Stephanie literally trying on Emily’s life.
She isn't just looking at the clothes. She’s inhaling them. It’s creepy. It leans into that Single White Female energy that the final edit keeps a bit more subtle. Paul Feig mentioned in the commentary that he wanted to keep the audience guessing about Stephanie’s innocence for as long as possible, but this scene almost tips the hand too early. It shows us that Stephanie didn't just want a friend; she wanted to be the woman who had it all, even the parts that were rotting.
Then there's the stuff with Sean (Henry Golding).
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Golding plays the "distressed husband" role with a lot of charm, but the deleted scenes give him a bit more of an edge. There’s a scene where Stephanie finds a stash of his writing that didn't make the cut. It highlights the financial desperation that drove a lot of the plot's insurance fraud elements. Without these moments, Sean sometimes feels like a bystander in a war between two hurricanes. With them, you realize he was just as complicit in the domestic boredom that sparked the fire.
Why the Alternate Ending Changes Everything
People still argue about the ending of A Simple Favor. The final cut ends with Emily getting hit by a car (driven by the hilarious Andrew Rannells) and Stephanie’s vlog becoming a massive success. It’s colorful. It’s poppy. It feels like a dark comedy victory.
But the A Simple Favor deleted scenes and alternate takes suggest a much grimmer conclusion was on the table. In some of the original drafts and early storyboards discussed by the crew, the resolution was less about a slapstick car accident and more about the psychological total destruction of Emily.
The Blu-ray features a "Gag Reel," sure, but the "Flashbacks" section is where the real meat is. We get more context on the "Faith" and "Hope" twins dynamic. There is a specific deleted moment where we see more of the fire at the camp. It’s visceral. It makes Emily feel less like a glamorous villain and more like a damaged, dangerous predator who never really had a chance at a normal life.
If you've read the original novel by Darcey Bell, you know it’s much darker than the movie. The movie is a martini; the book is a straight shot of cheap whiskey. The deleted scenes are the middle ground. They bridge the gap between Feig’s bright, saturated aesthetic and Bell’s nihilistic prose.
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Why These Scenes Matter for the Sequel
You've probably heard that A Simple Favor 2 is officially happening. It’s filming in Italy. The whole cast is back. But how do you bring back Emily after she was sent to prison for 20 years?
The clues are in the discarded footage.
In the extra bits of dialogue from the prison sequence at the end of the first film, Emily’s resilience is on full display. She’s already running the yard. She’s winning at basketball. She’s essentially the queen of her new domain. By looking at the A Simple Favor deleted scenes, we see that Emily’s ability to adapt isn't just a plot point—it’s her superpower.
- The "Brother-in-Law" Subplot: There was more footage involving the investigation into the original "disappearance" that helped explain the legal loopholes Emily was trying to jump through.
- Stephanie's Darker Side: More clips of Stephanie talking to her "moms" audience show a woman who is increasingly comfortable lying to thousands of people.
- The Insurance Agent: Some extended banter with the insurance investigators makes the "suicide" plotline feel a bit more grounded and less like a "movie" twist.
The Technical Side of the Cutting Room Floor
It’s interesting to look at the work of editor Brent White here. White has worked on a lot of comedy (like Step Brothers), but this was a thriller. The deleted scenes show a struggle to find the right "vibe." Some scenes were clearly too funny, which undercut the tension. Others were too bleak, which ruined the fun of the fashion and the drinks.
Take the "Casual Sips" scene. It’s just Blake and Anna riffing. It’s great TV, but it does nothing for the plot. In a 2018 interview, Feig noted that he had hours of these two just talking. While fans of the chemistry between Lively and Kendrick would love to see a four-hour cut, the movie would have died in the second act.
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The pacing of a thriller relies on "information drops." The deleted scenes often contain too much information. They explain the "why" when the movie works better if you’re just left wondering "what the hell is happening?"
How to Watch the Unseen Footage
If you are hunting for these, don't just look for "deleted scenes" on a menu. Look for the "making of" featurettes. Specifically, "Lifestyle by Stephanie" contains snippets of footage that didn't make it into the final vlog segments shown in the film.
- Check the 4K Release: This has the most comprehensive list of extras, including "Flashback: A Postmortem of the Film."
- Audio Commentary: Paul Feig is incredibly transparent. He calls out specific moments that were cut because they "confused the test audience."
- Digital Boutique Versions: Some iTunes Extras include "The Art of the Noir," which shows behind-the-scenes framing that suggests different versions of key scenes.
The movie we got is a masterpiece of tone. It’s bright and sunny but feels like a funeral. The deleted scenes are the shadows. They remind us that Stephanie isn't just a "nice mom"—she’s a woman who slept with her half-brother and then built a brand on being "relatable."
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you’re a superfan, don't just rely on YouTube clips. Most of the high-quality A Simple Favor deleted scenes are gated behind the physical media releases because of licensing.
- Look for the "Enzo" Scenes: There is extra footage of the children that actually makes the stakes feel higher. In the movie, the kids are mostly props. In the deleted footage, you see the psychological toll Emily’s disappearance takes on them.
- Study the Wardrobe Continuity: In some deleted segments, Emily wears outfits that were supposedly "burned" or "gone," hinting at different versions of the timeline where her "death" was handled differently.
- Compare to the Book: If a scene feels weirdly dark, check the Darcey Bell novel. Usually, those deleted scenes are the ones that tried to stay true to the book before the producers decided to make it a "fun" movie.
The best way to prep for the sequel is to watch the first film with the commentary on. It changes your perspective on the final showdown. You realize that the "simple favor" was never about picking up a kid from school. It was about an invitation into a sociopath's world, and by the time the credits roll, Stephanie hasn't just escaped that world—she’s conquered it.
Go back and watch the vlog outtakes. Notice how Stephanie’s eyes change when she thinks the camera is off. That’s the real movie. That’s the character that is going to be facing off against an escaped Emily in Italy very soon.
Stop thinking of the deleted scenes as "mistakes." Think of them as the evidence Emily Nelson tried to bury. Once you see them, you can't really look at Stephanie’s "perfect" smile the same way again.