Directed by Kyle Newacheck, Murder Mystery is a light comedy about a New York cop named Nick Spitz (Adam Sandler) and his wife Audrey (Jennifer Aniston). It’s obvious a spark is missing from their marriage so Nick ponies up a European vacation after a decade-long promise went unfulfilled. The only problem is the trip was planned on a whim and their lives take a turn during the flight across the pond.
Onboard, Audrey meets the charming Charles Cavendish (Luke Evans), a man with money and good looks, who invites them both aboard a private yacht for the weekend. Once they arrive at their destination, that’s where the murder and mystery begin.
For reference, I’d say this film falls somewhere between Bad Times at the El Royale and Murder on the Orient Express. Both films had attributes that were memorable, more like sticking points. Murder on the Orient Express was intelligent, Bad Times at the El Royale had an amazing soundtrack with magical moments sprinkled in between. This film had its moments but it felt more like a free promo for Claritin and Monaco’s tourism department.
There were moments where the Sandler-Aniston duo brought laughter without trying too hard, but they weren’t consistent. The rest of the cast was brilliant, especially Luke Evans, who played the perfect role of mystery rich man with ulterior motives. One of the refreshing things about the film was that the bulk of the humor came from the supporting cast as opposed to Sandler and Aniston.
I give Murder Mystery a 7 out of 10. It definitely isn’t good enough to have a run in theaters so Netflix is the perfect place for it. It’s a good date night film or something to watch in your free time, but it’s nothing that will be trending over the weekend.
-Jon J.