Murder Mystery 2, a sequel to the 2019 film Murder Mystery, was released on Netflix on Mar. 31. The movie follows Nick and Audrey Spitz, played by Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, respectively, as they attend the private island wedding of the Maharajah, a character who they first met in the prequel.

As Nick and Audrey arrive on the island, hopeful to take their minds off of their struggling detective business, they are greeted by the Maharajah’s fiancee Claudette, his sister Saira, his former fiancee Countess Sekou and business associate Francisco. Throughout the day, they have a chance to speak to each character, giving the opportunity for viewers to learn more about each one’s background and personality.

Afterward, the wedding ceremony begins and there is a lot of commotion, during which the Maharajah is kidnapped and his bodyguard is murdered. Because Nick and Audrey became full-time detectives after their heroics in the prequel, they initially take charge and attempt to figure out who would kidnap the Maharajah. They end up speaking to each of the aforementioned characters who they met earlier, believing that they are the only potential suspects capable of carrying out this scheme.

However, before they can get too far into their investigation, professional hostage negotiator Connor Miller is called in to take over. The kidnappers eventually come in contact with Connor and the rest of the worried wedding guests, demanding a $70 million ransom in exchange for the Maharajah. They also demand that the exchange takes place at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, so that is where nearly the rest of the movie takes place. Over the course of the rest of the movie, there are a plethora of twists and turns before the kidnapper is uncovered. To keep this review as spoiler free as possible, these red herrings and surprises will not be mentioned, but it is safe to say that Nick and Audrey Spitz will likely have more clients than at the beginning of the movie.

Overall, I felt that the pacing of the movie was perfect, as there was almost never a dull moment over the course of the nearly hour-and-a-half-long movie. As with most Adam Sandler comedies, there was not much substance to the movie in terms of forcing viewers to have to think. Instead, this is a movie for those who want to relax and just enjoy a fairly lighthearted movie, with subtle humor added in throughout. As with most murder mystery movies, there were quite a few red herrings implemented in the movie, leaving me questioning who the kidnapper was up until the very end.

Even so, I wish that the movie could have worked better as a standalone film, because I felt that having watched the prequel was a little too impactful on my understanding of the plot and some of the side characters. Luckily for viewers, the ending of the movie suggests that while the mystery involving the Maharajah may have been solved, another one is just on the horizon for the Spitzes.