Despite the critics (mostly) hating it, we now know that 30.9m Netflix account-holders watched Murder Mystery in its first three days of release. To put that in context: if two people watched the movie on each account, and you imagine them all paying the average $9 price of a cinema ticket, it would give the film an opening weekend of $556m, the third-largest ever. That is by no means a perfect formula, but nevertheless highlights a staggering performance for an Agatha Christie parody that stars Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler. How did that happen?
It is not trying to be good
Murder Mystery seemed so formulaic to begin with, that my heart sank. Then quickly you realise. They don’t care! They want to be formulaic! Sandler is the cliche of a shlubby cop, Aniston the cliche of his hairdresser wife, and together they go on holiday to the general idea of Europe. There is murder mystery. Let’s just call it Murder Mystery. Relax, everybody.
Jennifer Aniston
By convention, Aniston and Sandler are stale, late-career actors with dwindling star power. But that convention is for cinemas, which need to excite people out of their homes. For Netflix, comfort and familiarity are perhaps more important. It must be sweet for Aniston, who was once the epitome of a TV star denied a hit movie. Now TV rules, and so does she!
The murder
Jokes are not immune to spoilers, so I won’t go into detail, but it was once I’d seen the murder that I really felt at home with Murder Mystery. If you’re going to be silly, there is only one rule: be very silly indeed. Top deadpanning from Terence Stamp, by the way.
Juan Carlos
Among the film’s chief delights are its running gags, like the one about Juan Carlos the racing driver, who does not speak English. To compensate, he uses the few phrases he happens to know, like an optimistic tourist, in the hope that he’ll at least make sense sometimes. It’s that kind of film.
Entrance music
There is nothing wry about this movie. In total, it works on one level. Still, it is fun to raid the ham cupboard of old film for touches like the sinister theme that plays when a suspicious character appears. If you fondly remember Clue from 1985, then you will love this.
They are watching with us
Most of the film is just banter between Aniston and Sandler, which reminded me of people watching TV. As they watch the Eurotrash of Monaco, or wherever, they commentate on what they see, like we do at home. More than anything else, Murder Mystery feels like Gogglebox: The Movie.
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