Can Murder Mystery 2 Really Succeed?

Murder Mystery 2, the follow-up to Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston's forgettable 2019 comedy Murder Mystery, presents no shining promise. Sandler and Aniston are back as Nick and Audrey Spitz, a married couple from New York who had become embroiled in the machinations of an affluent European family in the first movie, and now run an unsuccessful private investigator agency, facing financial straits. Thus, they jump at the chance to attend a wedding of their wealthy friend Vikram (Adeel Akhtar, one of a few characters who survived from the predecessor).

Given Sandler's lack of live-action sequels and Grown Ups 2 being one of the most abominable movies made in recent memory, Murder Mystery 2 could be expected to suffer from the same lack of effort as its predecessor. The movie was filmed in Hawaii and the second half of it is set in Paris, which provides a pleasant contrast from the most expensive movies whose idea of an exotic setting is limited to Burbank's LED screens or a parking lot in Atlanta. It brings some refreshing change to see Sandler and his entourage travelling to another part of the world.

The jovial sight of celebs acting the part of stars is refreshing. Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston enact their roles as expected, with Sandler in his usual shaggy, easy-going self and Aniston looking as if she hasn't aged since 1999. Consequently, each of them appears to be the embodiment of a certain kind of fame. One may easily imagine the background and characters of Nick and Audrey as they seem to be well aware of the other's eccentricities yet share a mutual and endearing affection. They banter back and forth but in a playful and tender manner. One can almost sense their closeness, more so than in Murder Mystery, and their familiarity with each other's boundaries. They truly depict the idea of a married couple.

The new movie relies heavily on vibes rather than plot, and it doesn't make much of an effort to lift the murder and mystery of Murder Mystery 2 to any great heights. What it does succeed at in its own right, however, is its comedic content. Many of its silly one-liners and jokes hit the mark, like Nick's addiction to a particular cheese served at the wedding, the constant bragging about one character's sexual prowess, and the hilarious scene involving an ax embedded in somebody's head. Director Jeremy Garelick injects a visual quality that was absent in the first movie, while also demonstrating an aptitude for physical comedy and good timing.

Once our protagonists make it to Paris, the film really takes off, with thrilling (and indeed humorous) confrontations as well as vehicle chases. (In the previous movie, a car chase that felt like it was filmed with a webcam was inexcusably dull.) In recent years, Netflix France has produced a great deal of realistic, stunt-led action films, and it seems likely that some of that influence has rubbed off on this production. Or perhaps Sandler wanted to give this action-comedy genre one more attempt before he became too old for it.

This movie was surprisingly entertaining, despite there being no reason for it to be so. It could be argued that the movie's success is in no small part thanks to Netflix algorithms that pick movies that viewers never asked for. That is part of the movie's appeal - it's a Netflix film, so viewers don't have to spend money or time going to the cinema. Watching this film while doing other activities like washing dishes or folding laundry is a great way to spend time without wasting it. Despite its simplicity, Murder Mystery 2 still manages to provide enjoyable moments.