For a certain brand of Adam Sandler films, you know what you’re going to get: something cheerfully lowbrow, easygoing and listlessly comforting when used as background programming. Such movies are what make the actor’s longstanding partnership with Netflix perhaps too suitable a match, as the bulk of the company’s original content has been gradually cheapened to a similar brand. With “Murder Mystery 2,” the sequel to the 2019 comedy “Murder Mystery,” it’s much of the same.
The film, directed by Jeremy Garelick, reintroduces us to Nick (Sandler) and Audrey (Jennifer Aniston), the married-couple leads of the original movie, who, after solving the first film’s high-profile murder, have formed a private detective agency, which they are having trouble getting off the ground. They are soon whisked away to the destination wedding of a friend, the Maharajah (Adeel Akhtar), a familiar face from the first movie.
A new murder occurs, and the Maharajah is kidnapped. Nick and Audrey are on the case, while they again find themselves wanted by authorities as prime suspects. There’s a bit more scale to this sequel, and plenty of flat gags that will have just a tad more vigor if you’re familiar with the recurring characters.
As they have in past team-ups, Sandler and Aniston maintain a charming midcareer looseness, and have a palpable affability as a duo — one can sense the fun they had making such silliness, even if the result isn’t gold. You could do worse for something to turn on while making dinner.
Murder Mystery 2
Rated PG-13 for violence, bloody images, strong language, suggestive material and smoking. Running time: 1 hour 29 minutes. Watch on Netflix.
