The new Netflix film Murder Mystery, starring Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler, is released today. In the film, when a NYC cop (Adam Sandler) finally takes his wife (Jennifer Aniston) on a long-promised European trip, a chance meeting on the flight with a mysterious man (Luke Evans) gets them invited to an intimate family gathering on the Super Yacht of elderly billionaire Malcolm Quince. When Quince is murdered, they become the prime suspects in a modern-day whodunit.
The film reteams Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler years after their comedy turn in Just Go With It, and it’s like no time has passed at all.
The two have great chemistry, and it’s a blast to watch them. The two play a married couple who have been together for 15 years and end up on a European vacation after Aniston’s character meets a mysterious stranger. The first thing that stood out about the film was that it was going to break the trope of a couple married too long who need to cheat or at least come close to figuring out that they’re actually still in love. Here, we have a couple who might have lost some of that magic, but you never see them think about abandoning each other.
Sure, there are issues, but when Sandler’s character meets a famous actress played by Gemma Arterton, he’s just star-struck, not drooling over her. Aniston’s character doesn’t look at this with jealousy. We never think she’s going to cheat on the husband she is irritated with when she meets Luke Evans’ character, nor does her husband assume she will. He’s more concerned that he isn’t quite in the shape he used to be. It’s refreshing to see a couple like this. Sure, the adventure brings them closer together, but they were never really that far apart.
The supporting cast is a riot, from Arterton’s Grace being exactly the diva you want her to be with lines like, “All women are actresses. I’m just clever enough to get paid for it,” and Evans is the rich, yet friendly heir to a fortune, and his timing is perfect. Luis Gerardo Mendez is a relative newcomer, but he shines next to veterans Aniston and Sandler as the non-English-speaking Formula 1 race car driver.
Dany Boon is the perfect French detective: sarcastic, straightforward, and full of dry wit. As for Terence Stamp, do we really have to tell you anything? His name alone will remind you how much you miss him when he’s not on a screen. Sandler has had some misses over the past few years, but this film will remind you why you loved him in the first place.
The film brings to mind broad comedy murder mysteries like Clue. We’re playing for laughs here, and though it’s grounded in reality, it’s still a silly, fun romp that will definitely make you want to do a rewatch to see how many clues are layered in. The premise might be old hat, but it’s a classic for a reason. Watch for Ólafur Darri Ólafsson’s short scene. He’s not in the film much, but he’s got more charm than you would expect from his introduction, and it left us wanting to see more of him.
Overall, this is definitely worth a watch. The locations are beautiful, the comedy is a blast, and the cast is clearly having a great time. It’s nice to see Sandler back in a role that is reminiscent of why he was a star to begin with, and Aniston delights as she always does.
The comedy co-stars Luke Evans (The Alienist, Beauty and the Beast, The Hobbit Trilogy), and features a global ensemble cast including Gemma Arterton (Their Finest, The Girl with All The Gifts), Luis Gerardo Mendez (Club de Cuervos, Nosotros Los Nobles, Time Share), Shioli Kutsuna (Deadpool 2), David Walliams (Little Britain, Dinner for Schmucks), Adeel Akhtar (The Big Sick, Murdered by My Father, Four Lions), John Kani (Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther, The Lion King), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (The Meg, True Detective, The BFG), with César Award winner Dany Boon (R.A.I.D. Special Unit, Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis), and Academy Award nominee Terence Stamp (Miss Peregrine’s, The Limey, A Song for Marion).
Murder Mystery premieres today on the streaming service. Are you watching? Let us know in the comments.
Jenna Busch has written and spoken about movies, TV, video games, and comics all over the Internet for over 15 years, co-hosted a series with Stan Lee, appeared on multiple episodes of “Tabletop,” written comic books, and is a contributing author for the 13 books in the “PsychGeeks” series including “Star Wars Psychology.” She founded the site Legion of Leia and hosted the “Legion” podcast.