Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Murder Mystery 2’ brings back Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler as Audrey and Nick Spitz, who get embroiled in another crime, resulting in many deaths over the course of a weekend. The story begins with the couple getting invited to Maharajah Vikram’s wedding on a private island. Audrey and Nick take it as an opportunity to spend quality time together and get peace of mind before returning to their failing careers as private detectives. However, things take a turn when Vikram is kidnapped, and people start dying. The location becomes important in figuring out who is orchestrating the whole thing. If you want to know more about the setting of the story, we’ve got you covered.
Murder Mystery 2’s Contemporary Setting
‘Murder Mystery 2’ is set four years after the events of the first movie. The period between the two installments shows the journey that the couple has been on. Having successfully solved the mystery of Malcolm Quince’s death, Audrey and Nick try their hand at being private detectives. However, they discover they still have a long way to go to become sharper and more effective in handling their cases. They make a mess of their cases, which leads them to reconsider where they stand.
When they receive the invitation to Vikram’s wedding, they are glad to finally get a break to take a step back and figure out how they want to move forward. It is supposed to be a time to sit back and enjoy the festivities, but the weekend takes an incredibly hectic turn for them. Over the weekend, they have to save their friend, find out who is trying to kill him and dodge the cops who suspect them while proving their mettle as detectives, all the while trying not to get killed.
The contemporary setting allows the story to be relatable and refreshing. James Vanderbilt, who wrote the screenplay for both movies, wanted to create a modern take on the whodunit genre blending the tropes of Agatha Christie murder mysteries with classics like ‘The Thin Man’ and Inspector Clouseau.
Detective Start: New York Beginnings
‘Murder Mystery 2’ begins in New York, where Audrey and Nick have left behind their previous lives and are not trying their hand at being private detectives. Following this, they go to Vikram’s private island, whose location remains undisclosed. The investigation eventually leads them to Paris, France, where the story comes to a conclusion.
While making the sequel, the filmmakers were focused on making it as grand as possible while staying in the same thread as its predecessor. “It was a massive endeavor. And when we looked at the screenplay, we knew we wanted to go bigger. Um, and we knew we were going to be in a beautiful, remote location. And then we knew we were going to be in Paris, and we chose the greatest locations possible. The Eiffel Tower, The Opera House, The Arc de Triomphe,” director Jeremy Garelick said.
The director wanted to make the location a character in the film. “We decided to look at every scene and say, okay, how can we take the scene and put it in a location that becomes part of the movie? We really tried to make every single scene a beautiful picturesque location, make every scene as loud and funny, and big as possible,” he added.
This plays into the plot as the film begins with a mystery set on a remote island, giving it an Agatha Christie vibe, and then moves to Paris, turning into an action flick with car crashes and explosions. The setting in Paris is also a nod to the first film where Audrey expressed her desire to go to Paris. At the beginning of the sequel, too, she mentions her love for the city despite never having been there.
Read More: Where Was Murder Mystery 2 Filmed?
