Murder Mystery 2

The Sandler and Aniston chemistry rules in a movie whose cut-rate streaming aesthetic is inseparable from its charm.

The new movie has a different director, Jeremy Garelick (with a script once again by James Vanderbilt), but for the most part he’s smart enough not to get in the way of the fractious agreeability of the Sandler-and-Aniston bickering. They land on a tropical island that makes paradise look shabby, though Nick is as focused on the succulent wedge of artisanal cheese left in their bedroom as a welcome gift as he is on the setting. But you could also say, in an age when your average theatrical hit is suffused with FX sensation, often at the expense of the humanity that has drawn people to movies for most of the last century, that the stripped-down, Look, I’m a piece of product! So will “Murder Mystery 2.” It’s only 89 minutes long (10 minutes shorter than the first film), and for a while it feels like an even more trivial Wiffle-ball entertainment. It was also a “Knives Out” mystery done on what felt like one-tenth the budget, with the suspects all cartoons out of central casting. The two wound up on a yacht, at the party for a geezer aristocrat, which turned out to be his death sentence the moment he cut everyone there out of his will.

Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston lift a lazy follow-up to their action-heavy Netflix comedy with genuine movie star charm.

[Netflix](https://www.theguardian.com/media/netflix), the film sure to be another much-watched and endlessly followed-up sequel. [Murder Mystery](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jun/14/murder-mystery-review-netflix-adam-sandler-jennifer-aniston), his most watched Netflix film to date was one that didn’t exactly straddle these two halves but made for a more acceptable use of his sillier side, thanks greatly to the appearance of Jennifer Aniston. [Hustle](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jun/05/hustle-review-adam-sandler-scores-in-rags-to-riches-tale) and simultaneously, we’ve seen the Safdies squeeze out his best work in Uncut Gems (the trio will collaborate again with a new film set in the world of sports memorabilia) and later this year he’ll star alongside Carey Mulligan in the offbeat sci-fi drama Spaceman.

Murder Mystery 2 has no loftier goals than disposable entertainment for 90 minutes, and it gets the job done.

Still, there’s something to be said about the efficiency of this venture, especially in an era of so much bloat in feature films and television. They’re not exactly deep characters—the breakneck nature of the kidnapping plot doesn’t allow it—but Aniston and Sandler do a lot by merely relying on their familiarity with one another as performers. The groom’s bodyguard ends up being the one on the pachyderm, murdered by a cheese knife in the side, but it’s really a distraction for the Maharajah to be kidnapped. And that could be because of the goodwill engendered by projects like “ [Uncut Gems](/reviews/uncut-gems-movie-review-2019),” “Hustle,” and even the relatively enjoyable “ [Hubie Halloween](/reviews/hubie-halloween-movie-review-2020).” Or I could have just been in a worse mood four years ago. “Murder Mystery 2” sets up a group of suspects that includes the bride Claudette ( After the chaotic action of the original, they’ve become private dicks, solving crimes for a fee, but they’re struggling to make it work.

"Murder Mystery 2" might be the epitome of what amounts to a "Netflix movie," which is to say that as long as you're paying for a subscription already, ...

The two thus jump at the opportunity to attend a destination wedding on an island paradise thrown by the Maharajah (Adeel Akhtar), who is marrying Claudette (Mélanie Laurent, like most of the supporting cast, deserving better), who has “trophy wife” written all over her. The sequel charitably shoots for a sort of more violent “The Thin Man” vibe, but about the best one can say for the movie is that it’s mercifully short. The near-four-year gap between movies does help in one respect, allowing people to largely forget what left them unimpressed about the original.

Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston star, once again, as Nick and Audrey Spitz, respectively an erstwhile New York City cop and a former hairdresser. In the first ...

Later, despite the fact that doing so is illegal, he and Audrey, after squabbling through most of the movie, renew their love for one another by affixing a padlock to the Pont des Arts, what they call “the Love Locks Bridge.” Forget that the collective weight of such locks threatens the bridge’s structural integrity. How about the suave Francisco (Enrique Arce), the Maharajah’s equally rich business partner, who has plenty to gain with his associate out of the way—and who also spends most of his time trying to purr Audrey into bed with him? There’s a way in which buying a movie ticket is a vote of confidence in a film, a hopeful act that we always hope won’t end in betrayal. [Adam Sandler movies](https://time.com/4744571/adam-sandler-movies-netflix-ratings/) precisely for their dopey gags. (She resists, obviously.) And then there’s the Maharajah’s straight-talking sister Saira (Kuhoo Verma), who’s clear about her boredom with fancy people, a proclivity that endears her to Audrey immediately. Yet even the Eiffel Tower seems like a mere accessory to the movie’s jumble of action and dopey gags. It turns out they can’t—but just as their bickering becomes unbearable, to them and to us, they accept an invitation to the wedding of their friend, the Maharajah (Adeel Akhtar), the madcap rich Indian dude they befriended in the first installment. Could it be the Maharajah’s French fiancée, Claudette (Mélanie Laurent), who may or may not be ze digger of ze gold? Maybe it’s her best friend, and an ex-girlfriend of the Maharajah’s, the icy Countess Sekou (Jodie Turner-Smith), who mocks Audrey for loading food onto her plate, just one of many instances in which Audrey and Nick demonstrate that they are truly just regular old salt-of-the-earth people, wholly clueless about manners and thinking it’s just everyone else who’s stuck up.. They arrive at the private tropical island where the wedding is set to take place and don the luxurious ivory-toned wedding-guest outfits their host has thoughtfully provided for them—only to witness the alarming kidnaping of the groom just as he’s about to enter his own celebration on the back of a gaily decorated elephant, a turn of events that puts every guest on edge and eventually leads Nick, Audrey, and the core gang of suspects to Paris. [Jennifer Aniston](https://time.com/5759599/jennifer-aniston-at-golden-globes/) star, once again, as Nick and Audrey Spitz, respectively an erstwhile New York City cop and a former hairdresser. In an age when theater attendance is down and streaming products reign—even if the services that produce and present them still haven’t figured out how to make money off them—is this what movies have come to?

'Murder Mystery 2' Review: Adam Sandler & Jennifer Aniston Can't Solve This Middling Sequel · What is the line between parody and sincerity? · The oddest thing ...

That the clumsiness of the characters extends to the film itself makes Murder Mystery 2 a sequel which is not only inferior in its construction, but in how it doesn’t take advantage of its talented leading duo who are left roaming with nowhere to go. Of course, much of this is the entire point of the experience. This could be forgiven if it really let loose and the reveal of who was behind it actually caught us off guard. Rather than get a chuckle, it just makes for a reference that only calls attention to how this is inferior compared to the already imperfect first outing. [Murder Mystery](https://collider.com/tag/murder-mystery/), it was primarily the chemistry of [Adam Sandler](https://collider.com/new-adam-sandler-safdie-brothers-film-plot-details/) and [Jennifer Aniston](https://collider.com/tag/jennifer-aniston/) as the Spitzs that ensured a balance was struck. In many key shots, it strains credulity that any of the people are actually standing where the film wants us to believe they are. As a result, this makes it increasingly difficult to connect with an experience that is oscillating between tones and diminishing both. Thus, when they get an invite by their old friend Vikram AKA The Maharajah ( [Adeel Akhtar](https://collider.com/tag/adeel-akhtar/)) to come to a wedding on a private island, they decide to go in order to unwind. It is a callback to when this happened in the first film, but without any of the absurd thrills that followed it. [Mélanie Laurent](https://collider.com/tag/melanie-laurent/)), his previous fiancé Countess Sekou ( [Jodie Turner-Smith](https://collider.com/the-acolyte-jodi-turner-smith-star-wars-comments/)), his sister Saira (Kuhoo Verma), his friend Francisco (Enrique Arce), and the returning Colonel Ulenga (John Kani). Caught in the middle of all this once more are the bumbling duo of Nick (Sandler) and Audrey (Aniston) who have fallen on hard times since the events of the last film. What is the line between parody and sincerity?

Movie Review: In Netflix's Murder Mystery 2, Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston return as Nick and Audrey Spitz. It's no Knives Out 2, but it's still fun.

Director Jeremy Garelick, who brings a visual elegance to the movie that the first one sorely lacked, seems to have an eye for physical comedy and a real sense of pace. I found myself laughing out loud at many of its dumb little gags, such as Nick’s obsession with a particular kind of cheese served at the wedding (“The cheese has a hold on me!”), one character’s constant references to his sexual prowess, and some grisly fun with an ax stuck in a random goon’s head. As does the pleasant spectacle of movie stars simply being movie stars. And by all indications, Murder Mystery 2 appears to be another one of the star-producer’s efforts to take himself and his pals on vacation on a studio’s dime. Given the half-hearted, point-the-camera-and-shoot nature of the first Murder Mystery, it would be fair to expect very little from its follow-up. Murder Mystery 2, Netflix’s sequel to the utterly disposable 2019 Adam Sandler–Jennifer Aniston comedy Murder Mystery, a film about as inventive as its title, doesn’t look promising at all.

Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler star in Murder Mystery 2 on Netflix. The comedy was filmed at incredible locations in Hawaii and France.

[Paris](https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/a41090204/paris-travel-guide/), the production tapped a few iconic locations. [Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte](https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=74968X1525080&url=https%3A%2F%2Fvaux-le-vicomte.com%2Fen%2Fdecouvrir%2Fthe-chateau%2F) located in Maincy, France. The lagoon is part of the Lanikuhonua [nature preserve](https://www.lanikuhonua.com/) on [Ko Olina](http://koolina.com/destination/). [Jennifer Aniston](https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/entertainment/a43029690/jennifer-aniston-54th-birthday-rare-throwback-instagram-photo/) and [Adam Sandler](https://www.housebeautiful.com/design-inspiration/a36147051/oreo-cookie-creator-home-sale/) are back as a bickering, crime-solving duo in Murder Mystery 2. [National World](https://www.nationalworld.com/arts-and-culture/film-and-tv/netflixs-murder-mystery-2-filming-locations-sequel-filmed-eiffel-tower-stunt-4087135) reports. At the estate, visitors can [tour the château, gardens, and carriage museum](https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=74968X1525080&url=https%3A%2F%2Fvaux-le-vicomte.com%2Fen%2Fprepare-your-visit%2Fprice%2F). [Emily in Paris](https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/entertainment/a42201971/emily-in-paris-season-three-filming-locations/) and [first season of](https://www.housebeautiful.com/design-inspiration/a37329765/hbo-the-white-lotus-four-seasons-resort-maui-at-wailea-hawaii/) [ The White Lotus](https://www.housebeautiful.com/design-inspiration/a37329765/hbo-the-white-lotus-four-seasons-resort-maui-at-wailea-hawaii/). Ahead, find out everything we know about the [filming locations](https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/entertainment/a41968608/wednesday-filming-locations-romania-castle/) that'll certainly serve as major inspiration for your next trip. On [The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon](https://youtu.be/RFyCpVe0kDs), Adam Sandler revealed a scene was actually filmed at the Eiffel Tower. Now streaming on [Netflix](https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/entertainment/a42042041/wednesday-netflix-set-design/), the comedy follows the amateur detectives as they attend an incredible island wedding—only for it to be disrupted when someone is murdered and their friend is kidnapped. The Arc de Triomphe was selected as the location for where the detectives Nick and Audrey Sptiz (played by Sandler and Aniston) are asked to bring the ransom money in exchange for their friend. While the majority of 2019’s Murder Mystery was filmed in Italy, the sequel takes place in equally idyllic locations in Hawaii and France.

You would have a hard time defending the limp plotting, the bland action-adventure set pieces or the Agatha Christie-light whodunit twists of the first ...

All of this may lend some scale to “Murder Mystery 2” but it’s no help to the comedy. For those who have accused Sandler of using movies as an excuse to hang out with friends in beautiful locales, the “Murder Mystery” movies won’t disappoint. But like those films, everything in “Murder Mystery” and “Murder Mystery 2” is secondary, and distantly so, to the comic and sweet rapport between the Spitzes, a bickering but lovingly connected married couple. And this one, in which Jeremy Garelick (writer of “The Hangover”) takes over directing with James Vanderbilt returning to write the screenplay, starts out like a new season to a TV series, with a narrated recap of what the Spitzes have been up to since the last film. Like its predecessor, “Murder Mystery 2” is built on old-fashioned star power and the interplay between Sandler and Aniston. “Murder Mystery” and its new sequel don’t have anywhere near the sparkle of the “The Thin Man” movies, with William Powell, Myrna Loy and their wire fox terrier Asta.