There is nothing surprising about Netflix’s new film Murder Mystery.
It frolics in the tropes of the comedy-mystery genre but is devoid of any substance, whether it’s the humor or the suspense itself. It’s the movie definition of the word basic. Also not surprising: Jennifer Aniston gives an utterly charming performance despite the poor writing.
She reunites with her Just Go With It co-star Adam Sandler — which she cited as the reason for doing the film in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter — in this compact 95-minute whodunit. Super fans of the genre might get some amusement out of its simplicity but beyond that, it's doesn't have much to offer.
Unlike recent mystery-comedies like Game Night, which had a fantastic ensemble and built on its tension and absurd circumstances, or A Simple Favor, which relied on the cast more than the mystery for its final payoff, Murder Mystery floats by on a relatively bland storyline and climax.
The duo play married couple Nick and Audrey Spitz, who get entangled with crime while on their delayed honeymoon to Europe. After a chance meeting with Viscount Charles Cavendish, they end up on the yacht of his old, billionaire uncle Malcolm Quince but the man drops dead in a room full of folks who despise him.
Thus emerges a list of suspects: Cavendish; Quince’s young new bride Suzi; his son Tobias; his old friend Colonel Ulenga (with bodyguard Sergei in tow); godson and race car driver Juan Carlos Rivera; Hollywood actress Grace Ballard; and Vikram Govindan, who is apparently the Maharaja of Mumbai (a quick Google search and also me, someone born and raised in this city, are here to tell you this is not a thing that exists. If you're going to stereotype, at least do it right!).
Nick is a police officer and Audrey just looooves mystery novels (she literally reads a book called R.S.V.P. Murder during her flight) so they take it upon themselves to find the killer in order to avoid arrest because, yes, as the only two strangers on the boat, they’re the prime suspects right now for lazy cop Laurent Delacroix.
The final hour of the film is devoted to the couple's ensuing escapades as they try to unmask the killer. This naturally involves walking across a skyscraper's ledge while being shot at, fighting at the most inopportune moment, a car chase sequence, and a swanky makeover for the big reveal.
The movie plays as a guessing game for the Spitzes and the viewers but only one of us is actually having a dangerously good time. Nick and Audrey run around the scenic spots of Lake Como and Monte Carlo while we are stuck in our seats waiting for the jokes to land or for the twists to make an impact.
It doesn't help that Aniston easily outpaces all other performers. Sandler is just meh although Gemma Arterton, who plays A-lister Grace, manages to shine with whatever little she has to do. The rest of the cast is sidelined anyway. Adeel Akhtar is saddled with the worst character of all, the modern Indian maharaja who has a thick British accent and talks like a 13-year-old; "Yo, Mr. French policeman, it was maaaad" is how he describes the crime scene. Luke Evans as the Viscount looks dashing but acts dryly.
But I suppose none of that matters. The makers of Murder Mystery don't want to deliver a thoughtfully woven crime comedy that that you'll be talking about for weeks or put on your best movies of the year list. They just want to give you a fun-size caper that will at best remind you of your favorite Agatha Christie book and at worst only take away an hour and a half out of your weekend.
Murder Mystery is now streaming on Netflix.
