'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAcACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABbAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQcQAAIBBQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIDBAABBQYRBxMBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAURAQEBAQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAEDAgQAIhH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AJ217x6vp54vHZl4DLx0Q7o+RKc4ADhATWGHCO4VrsD0n0OZBjSY1tQchyQYpjimiwwMeiR2FPLFelKEr125611hfqmhFU+fLw4YdU4T2fhmGNjkBXXv/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Netflix's Murder Mystery 2 premiered on March 31, 2023, bringing back fan-favorites Adam Sandler as Nick and Jennifer Anniston as Audrey in another heart-pounding adventure that saw the couple doing everything -- from fighting atop the Eiffel tower to driving a van into Paris' oldest cafe.
The second part of the heavily-viewed Netflix original was bigger, more chaotic, and more fun. On similar grounds, the first Murder Mystery was quite a breakthrough when it was released despite its mixed reviews.
Of course, both films aren't meant to be like Knives Out or its sequel. It is silly comic fun in a whodunnit mystery. This was something that was common in both the Adam Sandler films, which saw the couple desperately trying to solve mysteries way beyond their capabilities.
While one can be hard-pressed to find differences between Murder Mystery and Murder Mystery 2, there are quite a few things that set the sequel apart.
Murder Mystery and Murder Mystery 2: What are the big differences?
1) Chance encounter vs driven decisions
While one of the funnier aspects (and more believable) of the first part was how the couple managed to end up at the scene of the murder, slowly getting entangled in the mystery, the second film saw them jump at the chance of the crime. This was also due to their professional presence as aspiring private investigators.
Moreover, the first film featured an actual murder, while the sequel started off as a kidnapping that led to many deaths in the process.
2) More linear plotline vs an elaborate scheme
The first part of the franchise saw an elaborate scheme with multiple suspects, all for plausible reasons. It also had a domino effect in motion, with a criminal mastermind pulling the threads. This time, it was far more linear and was driven by a set of very single-minded motives, money and vengeance.
This also made Murder Mystery 2 more predictable compared to the first one.
3) More time in investigations vs a lot more action
One thing that the second part of the Adam Sandler and Jennifer Anniston starrer will take credit for is the insane amount of action. The first part did feature scenes of chaos, but the second part turned its way up.
Murder Mystery 2 featured an elaborate action sequence in a van that ended with Audrey and Nick killing a handful of kidnappers, driving a van through the chaotic streets of pairs, and crashing into a cafe full of people.
Moreover, the finale was also way more action-packed, with the couple fighting off the bad guys at the top of the Eiffel tower, villains falling into the blades of the helicopter, and plans to destroy the entire Eiffel Tower. Overall, it was a chaotic fest.
4) Closed-ended vs open-ended
Murder Mystery was perhaps not made in a way that it could have a sequel. But the sequel concluded with the hopes that there will be a sequel.
It did not resolve things with Audrey and Nick very much in life-threatening danger, thanks to a final twist involving the money that Maharahaj (Adeel Akhtar) awarded the couple. In hindsight, the first part ended on a positive note, with Audrey and Nick finally having some alone time.
Murder Mystery 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
