While some film sequels seem completely superfluous, like Weekend at Bernie’s and The NeverEnding Story, a second stab at the world of 2018’s A Simple Favor makes a certain degree of sense. The intriguing world of martinis, moms, and murder lends itself to new mysteries and even more high heels. While Another Simple Favor deserves snaps for the clever title, it does not fully live up to the charm of the original.

This one begins much the same as the previous film. Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) is live-streaming to her followers about being in the middle of a major dramatic circumstance. The mommy vlogger now mixes parenting with solving true crime, rather than homesteading, and she is in a doozy of a pickle. Stephanie is in house arrest in her hotel room in Capri after being accused of killing her friend’s husband. She then starts to talk the audience on her feed through the circumstances that got her there.

After the incidents of the first film, namely Stephanie aiding in the arrest of her neighbor and day-drinking buddy Emily (Blake Lively), Stephanie wrote a book about the mysterious murdering blond, but sales are slumping. At a book signing, Emily dramatically emerges, fresh out of prison, and essentially forces Stephanie to be her maid of honor at her wedding in Capri in the next few days.

To any regular human who is leading a thankfully drama-light life, this entire exchange would seem unbelievable and absurd. But director Paul Feig has no intention of replicating the beige reality of those normal, pedestrian lives. This is a world of everyone always wearing the perfect outfit all the time, where a hair is never out of place, and where money is never a point of contention unless it makes for a plot point. Their reality is elevated and escapist, and the sooner the audience gets on board with that, the easier this journey will be for everyone involved.

And a beautiful world it is. Capri itself is a visually indulgent place, but adding atop that a budgetless wedding and Emily’s bold sartorial sense makes for a film that might be ok with putting style over substance.

At its core Another Simple Favor sticks to its roots in presenting a murder mystery. It adds in all the various players, motivations, and revealing family histories. And here the mystery is twisty-turny in all the right ways, and is fitting of the heighten existence of these pretty people. However, where this film falters is the presumption that the mystery is enough to carry the plot.

Sure, there was a mystery at the heart of A Simple Favor too, but beyond that it was largely about Stephanie getting to know Emily and trying to solve the complexity of this mysterious stranger. The unraveling of that character alone would have been worthy of the running time, but the two characters’ chemistry in addition to Stephanie’s sleuthing is what made it punch above its weight. Here is a solid whodunit that needs creative solutions, but beyond that there is little presented in terms of personal magnetism. When Stephanie and Emily verbally spar the writing is clever and the zings delivered with grace, but both of these characters are already fully crafted. There is little left to learn which zaps the tension and playfulness that made the original film as great as it is.

But as far as the deadly thriller in the plot goes, it is a good one. And as far as cinematic high fashion goes, these fits can’t be beat. Another Simple Favor does not manage to strike lightning for a second time, though it is not without its charm.

Another Simple Favor is streaming now on Prime Video.