A career worst debut, solving a murder on vacation and saving Halloween. Here's the
ranking of Adam Sandler's Netflix original movies.
Adam Sandler's Netflix tenure got off to a rocky start with 2015's "The Ridiculous
6," the worst reviewed film of his career. Taking its inspiration from "The Magnificent
Seven," this comedic Western casts Sandler as Tommy "White Knife" Dunson Stockburn,
a white man raised by Native Americans. Much to his surprise,
Tommy learns he has five outlaw half-brothers: happy-go-lucky roughneck "Lil Pete" Stockburn,
Mexican burro rider Ramon Lopez Stockburn, saloon pianist Chico Stockburn, mountain man
Herm Stockburn,, and former bodyguard to Abraham Lincoln Danny Stockburn.
Together, this merry band of misfits set out to save their father, Frank, a dying bank
robber who's been kidnapped by bandits looking for $50,000 in loot he's set aside for Tommy's tribe.
According to The Guardian, the production was plagued with controversy, as about a
dozen Native American actors walked off the set in protest of its depiction of
Apache culture. Their complaints ranged from characters named Beaver Breath and Never Wears
Bra to a scene involving a Native American woman smoking a peace pipe while squatting
and urinating, as well as the improper positioning of feathers on a teepee.
"I had dream about you last night White Knife."
"Oh, that's nice."
"Not nice dream. In dream you naughty."
Perhaps its most positive review came from Michael Phillips of The Chicago Tribune,
who said it was "a long, long way from the worst Sandler movie ever
made." But that was about as kind as it got for the film.
The second Adam Sandler Netflix original was only marginally better received than the first:
whereas "The Ridiculous 6" clocked in with an abysmal 0% Rotten Tomatoes score,
2016's "The Do-Over" earned a 9% rating from the critical aggregate. So things were already
on the upswing for the Sandman's output at the streaming service.
The film reunites Sandler with his old "Saturday Night Live" buddy David Spade,
who plays Charlie, a hapless bank manager living in Florida with his wife and stepkids. While his
wife is cheating on him with her ex-husband, Charlie reunites with his high school friend,
Max, played by Sandler, an FBI agent who invites him to party on his rented
yacht. Max blows up the vessel and fakes their deaths, allowing them to assume new identities,
but their chance for a do-over is met with comedic complications.
The vast majority of critics weren't as forgiving,
with David Ehrlich of Indiewire summing it up by writing -
"'The Do-Over' is atrocious, but it's atrocious in different ways than any of
Adam Sandler's previous comedies. [...] For years,
we've been asking Adam Sandler to try harder. We've been making a huge mistake."
Although the majority of its reviews were largely negative, many critics lauded 2018's "The Week
Of" as being more personal than some of Adam Sandler's other Netflix offerings.
Sandler plays Kenny Lustig, a working class Long Islander struggling to pay for his daughter's
wedding. Kenny cuts every corner possible to avoid asking the wealthy father of the groom,
Kirby, for help, booking the venue at a cheap hotel and hiring an adolescent DJ.
Things get out of hand when Kirby shows up and immediately starts feuding with Kenny
over everything. But before long the two dads are bonding over the shared loss of their kids.
Jesse Hassenger of The AV Club credited longtime Sandler friend and first-time
director Robert Smigel, who voices Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and co-wrote Sandler's "You
Don't Mess with the Zohan," with elevating the film above the standard Sandler fare.
Yet his opinion was in the minority. Writing for The New York Times, Glenn Kenny said -
"While the movie is ultimately more of the same old same old,
it is at least not as appallingly sexist and culturally insensitive as 'The Ridiculous Six.'"
"Sandy Wexler" provides Adam Sandler with the opportunity to indulge in one of his
favorite cinematic pastimes: transforming into a wacky character akin to the kinds he used to
play on "Saturday Night Live." While those "SNL" performances were only sketch length,
this 2017 film is stretched out to 131 minutes,
testing the patience of many critics who aren't always on the Sandman's wavelength.
"That's great."
Wexler is a middling talent agent in 1990s Los Angeles, characterized by his nasally voice and
giant spectacles. He's devoted to his clients, all of whom are hanging on the fringes of the
industry, from ventriloquists to wrestlers to wannabe movie stars. Sandy meets his newest find,
the talented singer Courtney, while she's performing at Six Flags, and he instantly
signs her. But Sandy's devotion to his work is put to the test when he falls in love with Courtney.
Although Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com thought Sandler's third Netflix title was
better than "The Ridiculous 6" or "The Do-Over," he also pointed out
that it was more of a case for how bad the first two films were. Still,
he admitted that the film had its positive aspects, including Sandler's performance,
which he likened to his work in "Punch-Drunk Love" and "Funny People." Tallerico added -
"There's a halfway decent and interesting 90-minute dramedy buried in this 131-minute film."
Jesse Hassenger of The AV Club was more positive, writing -
"This is all still Sandler schtick, replete with endless running gags,
but it's also surprisingly endearing and often quite funny."
"Murder Mystery" was among the most popular Netflix originals ever made, bringing in 83
million viewers and inspiring an upcoming sequel. The 2019 film was one of Adam Sandler's best
reviewed outings on the streamer, and one of the best of his vacation movies AKA movies the Sandman
made as an excuse to visit an exotic locale with his friends and make a few million while there.
Sandler plays Nick Spitz, a New York City police officer taking a long-delayed European vacation
with his wife, hairdresser Audrey, played by Jennifer Aniston. While on the plane they meet
dashing aristocrat Charles Cavendish, who invites them to party on the luxury yacht
owned by his wealthy uncle, Malcolm Quince. Quince, who is engaged to Charles' ex-fiancee,
is found murdered by his own dagger, and Nick and Audrey are framed for the crime.
Although he had issues with Sandler's character, Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair
called the film "a cheery enough diversion." Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly wrote,
"Aniston and Sandler [...] relax into their roles as if their only stake in
Mystery is to enjoy the free trip to Italy and have fun running down cobblestones."
Critically speaking, Adam Sandler's Netflix output has only gotten better
with each subsequent release. One of his latest, 2020's "Hubie Halloween,"
got decent reviews relative to how the Sandman's movies are usually received.
Hubie Dubois is one of Sandler's signature adult man-children, in line with those he
played in "Billy Madison" and "The Waterboy." He's a sweet-natured simpleton who's constantly
ridiculed by his neighbors and the local sheriff, Sgt. Steve Downey. As the official
Halloween Helper of Salem, Massachusetts, he keeps an eye out for teenagers attempting pranks,
only to find himself the butt of many cruel jokes from kids and adults alike. But things
get really spooky on October 31st, as escaped lunatic Richie Hartman and possible werewolf
Walter Lambert wreak havoc on the town. In the end, Hubie comes to the rescue,
and along the way he finds romance with Sgt. Downey's ex-wife, Violet Valentine.
Released at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, "Hubie Halloween" proved to
be the perfect October surprise for viewers stuck in their living rooms,
holding the top spot on Netflix for 10 days straight. Critics were also generally
surprised as well with the movie, with John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter writing -
"Those choosing to stay at home instead of trick-or-treating during this year
of unfunny horrors could do much worse than this."
Whether it's attending Lakers games with his "Anger Management" costar Jack Nicholson or
gaining the admiration of Shaquille O'Neal for his prowess with the ball,
Adam Sandler has long had an affinity for basketball. He even played a gambling addict
who bets it all on a crucial NBA match in "Uncut Gems." His love of the game is
evident in every frame of 2022's "Hustle," one of his best-reviewed Netflix originals.
Sandler plays Stanley Sugerman, a world-weary talent scout for the Philadelphia 76ers whose
search for the perfect basketball player has taken a toll on his personal life. While in Spain,
he meets Bo Cruz, whose troubled past has kept him from playing professionally. Impressed
with his streetballing skills, Stanley brings Bo to the U.S.,
and the two men find redemption through their shared love of the game.
"Do you want to be in the NBA?"
"Yes!"
"Well let's make that happen."
Critics praised the film's authenticity of its basketball world, as well as Sandler's
performance. The actor has at times been accused of phoning in performances,
but "Hustle" provided a breath of fresh air for critics, with Peter Travers of ABC saying -
"Sandler again shows what he can do when fully committed to a role."
Whether it's in his signature outrageous comedies or more auteur-driven dramas,
Adam Sandler has cornered the market on playing adult men stuck in a state
of arrested development. Much like Paul Thomas Anderson's "Punch-Drunk Love," Noah
Baumbach's "The Meyerowitz Stories" burrows beneath Sandler's onscreen persona to examine
the deep emotional damage at its core. This provided him with one of his very best roles,
and perhaps his best Netflix original, albeit one not produced by Happy Madison.
He plays Danny Meyerowitz, a talented musician stuck under the shadow of his domineering father,
sculptor Harold Meyerowitz. Danny moves in with his dad and his newest wife, alcoholic
hippy Maureen, after his marriage breaks up and his daughter starts her first year at NYU film
school. A retrospective of Harold's work reunites Danny with his siblings, financial planner
Matthew and Xerox employee Jean. But when their father suffers a health scare, the emotionally
estranged children are suddenly confronted with the various ways Harold has stunted their growth.
"The Meyerowitz Stories" earned raves from critics, particularly for its rich ensemble,
with Odie Henderson of RogerEbert.com writing -
"Sandler finds the perfect line between tragedy and comedy for
Danny. He still does his hollering angry man-child shtick, but here
it stems organically from the character and is never used as a comedic crutch."