What makes director Paul Feig, known for raunchy comedies like Bridesmaids and The Heat, different from his Freaks & Geeks collaborator Judd Apatow and other raunchy comedy directors is how he tells his stories through female perspectives. Almost all of his films focus on having comediennes like Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig follow in the footsteps of Frat Pack actors like Seth Rogen and Will Ferrell, as well as tackle womanhood in male-dominated worlds, and showing women have just as much right in appearing in male-dominated film genres, along with a good dose of feminism thrown in.

Feig’s next project, following the polarizing 2016 Ghostbusters reboot, sees Feig in a different direction than what many are used to. A Simple Favor, based on the 2017 novel of the same name, is a mystery thriller with strong similarities to Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, depicting a small town mommy vlogger named Stephanie, played by Anna Kendrick, going on an investigation to figure out what happened to her mysterious best friend Emily, played by Blake Lively, a PR director for a fashion company with a giant mansion, a lot of money, and seems to have a lot of secrets of her own.

From the premise, it seems like a major departure, and while the film is certainly darker, A Simple Favor balances a straightforward thriller narrative with a lot of humor that’s considerably darker than Feig’s other productions. And while these two tones seems like complete opposites, thanks to Feig’s direction, as well as Jessica Sharzer’s script, the film manages to blend both the thriller and comedic aspects perfectly. The script not only features a lot of great humorous moments, but also manages to have great fun with the mystery, delivering outlandish and absurd twists every few minutes. While other directors would likely be unable to make the absurdity work, Feig, as well as Sharzer, are able to have great fun with the wild direction the story goes, resulting in something that’s fun, pulpy, and unapologetic. It’s a real testament to Feig as a director that he is able to get out of his comfort zone and bring his own unique spin to a genre he had never dived into before. Feig is also able to utilize his locations and sets well, with him shooting Emily’s mansion like a palace, and Stephanie’s house nice and homely.

But of course, like with Feig’s other works, the standout element of A Simple Favor is its cast. Henry Golding of Crazy Rich Asians fame plays Emily’s wealthy husband Sean and he manages to have an aura of mystery to his character that’s entertaining, while a trio of parents who spectate all the events of the film offer some great comedic moments, with Andrew Rannells in particular delivering some of the film’s funniest moments. But of course Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively are the highlights. Admittedly I wasn’t quite a fan of Kendrick’s backstory, as it was a touch too ridiculous, even for a film as absurd as this, but she works as a mom who hides herself under sunshine and happiness, giving a great contrast to her journey. Blake Lively in particular is phenomenal. She’s funny, suave, mysterious, and is clearly having the time of her life playing Emily, while also having a solid amount of range when she’s allowed to have small moments of weakness and emotion. And when the two are together, it’s easily some of the best moments of the film. Their chemistry is phenomenal, and Sharzar’s script allows them plenty of time to get to know one another, making their friendship believable and fun to watch.

While it would be nice to see Feig direct another straightforward comedy, A Simple Favor still works as a subversive and fun thriller, with great twists, a great cast, and a great presentation that offers audiences something pulpy, fun, funny, and unpredictable.