The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) probably being the only exception — I haven't seen his entire filmography —, Adam Sandler movies are usually downright terrible. It's pretty much the same when it comes to Jennifer Aniston; there are some exceptions here and there but most of her films are just not that good. Because of this, it didn't seem like a particularly good idea to spend my free Friday morning to watch Netflix's latest original, Murder Mystery, which stars both. Surprisingly, the film exceeded my expectations as it is a quite enjoyable combination of comedy, mystery and romance.
Written by Zodiac's screenwriter James Vanderbilt, the story follows a married couple, Nick (Adam Sandler) and Audrey Spitz (Jennifer Aniston), living a rather bland life in New York. Nick is a police officer who has yet again failed the detective exam and keeps lying to his wife about it; Audrey is a hairdresser who just wants more romance in her life. On their 15th anniversary, with hearing her speak on it, Nick finally decides to take her on a European vacation, which he owed her since their honeymoon.
However, while on the plane, Audrey befriends a charming playboy, Charles Cavendish (Luke Evans), who invites them both to a luxurious yacht party in Monaco hosted by tycoon Malcolm Quince (Terence Stamp). When Quince is murdered, Nick and Audrey become the prime suspects in the investigation conducted by French Inspector Laurent Delacroix (Dany Boon), so they start their own investigation to find the real murderer.
If you are willing to close an eye on the nonsense dynamic that makes the story start, the French Inspector suspecting of Nick and Audrey for no reason whatsoever other than kicking off the couple's European adventure, the story of Murder Mystery is actually quite enjoyable and entertaining, and the element of mystery keeps it engaging from beginning to end. Sure, it often falls in familiar territory as what follows is a manhunt, other murders — at some point, as the suspects were murdered one by one, I thought Vanderbilt went for a And There There Were None finale —, and the typical, climatic action flick car chase, but it's nevertheless enjoyable.
The characters don't have a lot of characterization and development — they are pretty one-dimensional, to be honest — but they fit the actors very well. Adam Sandler is given just the right material for him, the juvenile humour he does, kind of, wonders with, and a dramatic touch to keep his performance more enjoyable. Jennifer Aniston also gives an enjoyable performance as the mystery novel obsessed Audrey and steals the show every time she is on screen. There's very nice chemistry between them which makes Sandler yet again having a romantic interest way more attractive than he feel genuine. Nice support comes from Luke Evans as a suave playboy and Gemma Arterton as a vamp actress.
As for the comedy, it's a bit of a hit and miss. While the film certainly has its moments, most of which are very silly and yet funny, Murder Mystery is not one of those comedies that delivers a joke after another, and it's not always effective when it delivers them as some of the jokes fall flat. However, it must be said that the humour is never offensive as it tends to be in most comedies nowadays, even with many ethnicities represented. Also, when the comedy falls flat, the mystery and romance keep the film afloat and flowing at a steady pace.
Ultimately, Murder Mystery won't be the comedy of the year, nor Netflix's best original — hopefully — but it's a solid comedy that it's worth checking out.
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