With combined star power and charming chemistry, Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston's collaborative movies have proven they are a wonderful cinematic pairing. Sandler and Aniston made big splashes in the '90s, and their careers continued to pick up steam in the following decades until they became Hollywood giants. Sandler's antics made him a comedy legend, while Aniston's more understated turns make her the perfect foil for any goofball co-star. Though it took years for the duo to finally appear together, the pairing immediately proved to be a perfect match, leading to a follow-up that reunited them again.
Starting in 2011 with Just Go with It, Sandler and Aniston's chemistry on screen was immediately apparent, and their individual styles managed to elevate each other's performances. The key to the success of the Sandler/Aniston films has been her ability to go along with his over-the-top comedy without ever being overshadowed. The success of 2019's Murder Mystery proved that the pairing was no fluke, and it became a rare Sandler movie to receive a sequel with the release of 2023's Murder Mystery 2. With three hits under their belts, more Sandler and Aniston matchups are almost certain to come.
3 Just Go With It (2011)
A Rom-Com With Sandler And Aniston Posing As A Married Couple
Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler were well into their stardom when they starred together for the first time, leading the cast of 2011's Just Go with It. Sandler plays Danny, a plastic surgeon who enlists the help of his office manager, Katherine (Aniston), to convince beautiful math teacher Palmer (Brooklyn Decker) that he is a married man who is soon getting a divorce. Just Go with It is a loose remake of the 1969 movie Cactus Flower, but it does little to stand out compared to the original in terms of story.
Just Go with It was generally lambasted by critics, though the cast scored some points in reviews. In particular, the onscreen chemistry between Sandler and Aniston is immediately undeniable, and their scenes transcend the script, which leaves a lot to be desired. One of the biggest problems with Just Go with It is that Sandler's character, Danny, comes off as irredeemably unlikable from the outset, and the movie's farcical humor doesn't make up for that.
Nevertheless, moviegoers flocked to the theaters in droves to see the first teaming of Sandler and Aniston, and Just Go with It grossed over $214 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo), proving that they were a box office smash together.
2 Murder Mystery 2 (2023)
Aniston And Sandler's First Sequel Together With An International Mystery
Netflix struck gold when they reunited Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler for 2019's Murder Mystery, and they found similar success with its sequel in 2023. Murder Mystery 2 follows Nick (Sandler) and Audrey Spitz (Aniston) as they attempt to gain credibility for their fledgling detective agency when the Maharajah is kidnapped. Critics were just as cool toward the sequel as they were toward the original, but Murder Mystery 2 surprised with near-record views in its opening weekend and was another big hit for Netflix.
The shortcomings of the movie and the negative critical reaction were all overshadowed by the star power of its leads. Murder Mystery 2 puts all of its budget on screen, and its resulting globetrotting adds visual intrigue. While the script falls short of being a masterpiece, Sandler and Aniston prove they haven't lost a bit of their appeal, and the sequel feels like a natural progression from its predecessor.
The ending of Murder Mystery 2 leaves the door open for additional sequels, and it seems as if the movie was specifically crafted to become a franchise in the same vein as 2019's Knives Out.
1 Murder Mystery (2019)
Sandler And Aniston Play A Married Couple Turned Detectives On Vacation
Though 2011's Just Go with It was Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston's first time appearing on screen together, 2019's Murder Mystery was their first film that got the formula of their chemistry right. While embarking on their long-awaited European vacation, a New York City cop (Sandler) and his wife (Aniston) become embroiled in a shocking whodunit. Critics cared little for the Netflix original movie, but subscribers were drawn in by the star-studded cast, and Sandler and Aniston certainly delivered on their end of the bargain.
With much more likable characters to work with, the co-stars present a more relatable story compared to Just Go with It, and the movie's European setting helped give it a cinematic edge. A working-class-hero protagonist has always best suited Adam Sandler, and Nick Spitz is a guy who fits that bill perfectly.
For her part, Jennifer Aniston was elevated to a co-starring role as Audrey Spitz, and she's just as much a reason for the movie's success as Sandler. Though none of the Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston movies were warmly received by critics, they were all smash hits, including the original Murder Mystery.
Are Aniston & Sandler Each Other's Best Co-Stars?
It's undeniable that Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler movies showcase the fact that the pair have incredible on-screen chemistry. However, whether the pair are each other's best recurring co-stars is something many fans of both actors have debated. Both Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston have a few names they work with regularly, or have done so in the past, that they play off of just as well.
For example, the movies of Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore have garnered a significant number of fans. The duo could be said to be a better fit than Sandler and Aniston, with movies like The Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates standing out as comedy classics that have an almost-inarguably stronger legacy than Murder Mystery or Just Go with It.
For Jennifer Aniston's part, she doesn't have as many frequent collaborators as Sandler, though there are several comedic talents she's worked with more than once with whom she has an equal amount of on-screen chemistry. Perhaps the most prominent example is Owen Wilson, who starred alongside Aniston in 2014's She's Funny That Way and 2008's Marley & Me. While a third movie starring the pair hasn't emerged yet, if it does, it could prove that they're a better on-screen duo than Aniston and Sandler.
They're A Rare Great Duo To Come Together Late
Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston have cemented themselves as a duo of actors that audiences love to see together. However, while there have been many examples of this in Hollywood history, with two actors co-starring in multiple movies together, Sandler and Aniston are two who started their partnership once they were already long into their careers and established as stars. Many of the most successful and famous movie duos worked together early on and their chemistry together helped to launch their success.
Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan were still up-and-coming actors when they first collaborated on Joe vs. the Volcano. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling worked together in supporting roles in Crazy Stupid Love before their turn together in the Oscar-winning La La Land. Even Sandler's other frequent leading lady, Drew Barrymore, was just launching the new comeback phase of her career when she worked with Sandler in what turned out to be his first box-office hit, The Wedding Singer.
Part of the fun of seeing Sandler and Aniston working together later in their careers was that there was immediate excitement about seeing these two A-listers finally sharing the screen. While it has been rare, some iconic duos also started late, including Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. While they both starred in The Godfather: Part II, they didn't appear on screen together until 1995's Heat, when they were both acting legends. Despite Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston taking a while to realize their amazing chemistry, there are still plenty of opportunities ahead for the actors to collaborate.
