Having zero interest in sleeping through the latest Men in Black installment, this weekend I enjoyed another double-shot of Rocketman at the cinema while turning to Netflix for something new. On the docket, the suspenseful comedy Murder Mystery.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.
Americans on a belated honeymoon accept an invitation from a mysterious stranger, only to find themselves at the center of a murder mystery.
Of late, Netflix originals have done a fine job of competing with the big studios. It comes as something of a surprise, then, that Murder Mystery feels more like an old-school network Movie of the Week.
Murder Mystery moves quickly through a by-the-numbers, "Clue"-like plot. It's amusing enough, and a stable of reasonably-famous faces keeps it from feeling *too* low-rent, despite the fact there's very little mystery in the murder. None of the leads plays against type: Jennifer Aniston is the girl-next-door, Adam Sandler her over-earnest husband, and Luke Evans the dashing and mysterious stranger. Netflix won't be hanging its hat on this one come awards season, but it's decent fun nonetheless.
Murder Mystery clocks in at 97 minutes and is rated PG13 for "violence/bloody images, crude sexual content, and language."
Murder Mystery is unmemorable, but if you're looking to shut off your brain with a bit of entertainment that doesn't challenge, it's just the ticket. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Murder Mystery gets five.
Fangirl points: Luke Evans! Gemma Arterton!
Until next time...
