Did You Actually Watch ‘Murder Mystery’ on Netflix?
Yesterday, one of Netflix’s official Twitter accounts boasted that more than 30 million accounts had watched Murder Mystery, their latest Adam Sandler comedy. That’s more people than watched the series finale of Game of Thrones! That made Murder Mystery, in Netflix’s terms, “the biggest opening weekend ever” for one of the company’s original features:
Even if we take Netflix’s numbers at face value, they still leave a lot of gray area. 30 million “accounts” watched the movie — out of the roughly 140 million that are currently subscribed to the streaming service — but how many people actually watched it? If I accidentally click the huge Murder Mystery banner at the top of the Netflix home page, then hit back two minutes later, does that count? What about if I click play, then leave my television on while I fold my laundry and itemize my receipts? Or how about the most likely outcome: I turn it on, watch 10 to 12 minutes, and then pass out in front of the computer? (Not that I, uh, did that.)
Netflix doesn’t really care whether you watched Murder Mystery or sort of half-listened to it in the background while you clipped your toenails. On the internet, a click is a click is a click. I care though, and I genuinely would love to know how many people actually and truly watched Murder Mystery, not just downloaded it onto their iPad to watch on an airplane and then turned off when they realized the in-flight entertainment had Shazam.
One way to gauge Murder Mystery’s true viewership would be to give every account that makes it to the end of the film an exit exam. Not some kind of gotcha stumper filled with arcane trivia — just 10 extremely simple questions whose answers would be obvious to anyone who truly consumed Murder Mystery. Only after you received a passing grade could you truly say you watched the movie.
So let’s try it. Here are 10 basic questions about plot points and details in the movie. The answers follow below the video:
- What is Adam Sandler’s character’s full name?
- What is Jennifer Aniston’s character’s occupation in the film?
- What does Jennifer Aniston steal when she sneaks into first class?
- What is the murder weapon?
- Malcolm Quince’s young wife hails from what country?
- Adam Sandler’s says there are three possible motives for murder. What are they?
- Where do Sandler and Aniston hide after their conversation with the Colonel’s bodyguard is interrupted by the killer?
- After the cast disembarks the boat following the murder, what famous event do they attend?
- Who is the last character killed before the end of the movie?
- Who is revealed as the murderer?
ANSWERS: 1. Nick Spitz, 2. Hairdresser, 3. Earplugs, 4. An ancient dagger, 5. Japan, 6. Money, love, and revenge, 7. A wardrobe, 8. The Monaco Grand Prix, 9. Charles Cavendish (Luke Evans), 10. Grace Ballard (Gemma Arterton) and Juan Carlos (Luis Gerardo Mendez)
How did you do? Here’s how your raw score translates into tangible results:
- 8-10 Correct: Congratulations! You actually watched Murder Mystery.
- 4-7 Correct: You “watched” Murder Mystery, but you didn’t, like, watch it watch it.
- 1-3 Correct: You technically watched Murder Mystery. And Barry Bonds technically has the record for the most home runs in a season. But c’mon; we know what’s up.
- 0 Correct: Congratulations! You definitely did not watch Murder Mystery.
Be honest, and post your score to social media. If all 30 million accounts do this — and I have zero doubt they will — we will finally get to the bottom of the true mystery of Murder Mystery.
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