Murder Mystery 2
Introduction
Onto the next release of the weekend and I finished watching the new English film Murder Mystery 2 which is now streaming on Netflix. The film marks the start of an unlikely franchise given that I did not think that there would be a follow-up film. I remember watching the first part a couple of years ago, almost tuning in it for fun. The title was a big factor in me being drawn into the film. I mean who wouldn’t enjoy a proper murder mystery with a good looking cast and you getting to play the detective passively. And it was an enjoyable film with high doses of humour.
When it does come to murder mystery, the one standout franchise is Knives Out which did work wonders for the genre. And it is more to do with combining genres by introducing a hash of comedy to make the proceedings quirky. And that was something that I was expecting from Murder Mystery 2 as well. So then does Murder Mystery 2 hold its ground and dish out an exhilarating murder mystery, lets find out.
Story & Screenplay
Murder Mystery 2 follows the story of the detective pair of Nick and Audrey who find themselves in the middle of another case. Will they be able to solve it? The story here lacks a proper murder and a mystery but is still fun in bits and parts. The screenplay standing at just 90 minutes makes for a brisk watch but this also has a bit of a disadvantage as far as the film is concerned.
The setup of the drama is eerily similar to that of Glass Onion – A Knives Out Mystery. But the differentiating factor straight up is that Glass Onion did have a considerable amount of buildup to the proceedings by investing adequate amount of time on all characters, one by one. But here the proceedings unfold at a mad rush pace. That doesn’t allow the viewers to be completely invested in the drama. Yes, there are a few funny scenes thrown in here and there which are genuinely quirky and funny. But when you have labelled the drama as a ‘Murder Mystery’, the fundamental aspect of it is completely off. There is no murder and very little mystery in the proceedings.
The drama shifts locations almost like characters change clothes here. And so the suspects too do not get much screen time for viewers to play the guessing game. If anything, the drama is decently entertaining as the protagonists make their way into solving the case. But the mad rush of the proceedings did get to me up to a point where I stopped caring for any of the characters. This was a big roadblock for a film which did have potential. Even the grand reveal in the final act was by no means shocking and that did have to do with the fact that I wasn’t completely invested in the characters, nor was I playing the guessing game. The final plot twist was also half-baked thereby summing up a screenplay which was fun while it lasted by did fall short of my expectations.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are quirky and genuinely funny that did result in me cracking up every now and then. The BGM is pulsating and the goofiness of the protagonists is also represented well through the BGM. The cinematography is excellent and it captures the high-octane action sequences really well. Even the costume design was vibrant and did capture the vibe of the drama well. Director Jeremy Garelick does a decent job but at no point does he allow his characters to flourish, with the prime focus being only on the protagonists. So I wasn’t entirely invested in the drama and that did lead to a below par watch for me.
Performances
The performances are frivolous and fun here. Jodie Turner-Smith as Countess and Kuhoo Verma as Saira have their moments to shine. John Kani as Colonel is hilarious in an extended cameo. Enrique Arce(you may remember him as Arturo) as Francisco is decent here. Adeel Akhtar as Maharajah is a little loud in his role although fun to witness. Mark Strong as Conner is first rate. Melanie Laurent as Claudette looks pretty and does a good job. But the film rests on the shoulders of Jennifer Aniston as Audrey and Adam Sandler as Nick and both of them are smashing in their roles. Their comic timing is on point and they do ensure that it is a fun outing despite the script lacking the bite.
Conclusion
Murder Mystery 2 lacks a proper murder and a mystery but does ensure that it is funny and quirky in parts. However, the film overall falls below par. Available on Netflix.