Adam Sandler is working on Murder Mystery 2, and his latest Netflix sequel appears to be falling into his old career trap. His career in Hollywood really took off with Billy Madison in 1995, and Sandler has remained one of the highest-earning comedy stars for nearly three decades since, starring in a slew of successful comedies (and a few unsuccessful ones, too). However, for many years, Sandler was considered something of a joke himself, as many saw his low-brow humor to be a sign of his inability to branch out and take risks in his career. It seemed, for a time, that Adam Sandler made movies to act angry and yell aggressively, not to challenge himself as an actor or even as a comedian.
However, Sandler went on to prove just how talented an actor he was by taking a string of dramatic roles. While many initially found it jarring to see the king of the comedic on-screen outburst delivering serious performances, it's now widely accepted that he's far more versatile and capable an actor than he's ever received credit for. His role in Uncut Gems, in particular, was met with widespread acclaim, so why is it that he seems to be so intent on falling back into old habits?
Many of Sandler's detractors claim that Sandler mostly makes films in order to hire his friends. Adam Sandler's ongoing partnership with Netflix, which has produced some films of extremely questionable quality, only seems to support that criticism of his work. Take 2016's The Do-Over, where Sandler stars alongside regular collaborator David Spade, or 2018's The Week Of, where Sandler appears with friends Chris Rock and Steve Buscemi. While it's a regular occurrence for the same people to work together in Hollywood, Sandler is very much in the habit of making films in which he can cast his friends, and they're usually two things: predictable and wildly unpopular with critics. This is evident in the making of Murder Mystery 2, which will star Sandler alongside longtime friend Jennifer Aniston. It's an odd choice for the actor, considering that Murder Mystery was met with less than stellar reviews.
Netflix teased the film at its Tudum event, and Sandler appeared to confirm what has been long suspected: he sees making movies as an opportunity to hang out with his friends in exotic locations. Not a lot is currently known about Murder Mystery 2, but the star hinted that it would include exotic locations and "a few deaths." This move seems to follow on from one of the worst aspects of Sandler's career, which is making transparently lazy sequels to his less successful films. Consider Grown Ups, the ultimate Sandler film. Also starring Sandler's closest friends in supporting roles, the movie features the group of actors essentially just playing themselves and making fart jokes, and that was subsequently followed up by a sequel even lazier than the original. Now, it seems that Murder Mystery is getting the same treatment.
It's a shame that this appears to be Sandler's legacy, as he's really such a talented performer. However, despite his dramatic roles turning heads, the actor is dead set on sticking with his low-brow comedic roots, and it's noble, in a way. Still, his Adam Sandler's Netflix movies remain popular despite being bad, and all the time they're finding an audience on the platform, he'll continue making films like Murder Mystery 2. As long as there are still a few more turns like those of Uncut Gems and Punch-Drunk Love, Sandler should come out on top in the end.