Adam Sandler has always been one of those actors people think they've figured out until they actually sit down and watch him properly. For decades, he's been labeled everything from goofy comedy guy to nostalgia merchant to unexpected dramatic powerhouse, depending on which phase of his career you walked in on. But the truth, which Jennifer Aniston knows, is that he's so much more than that.
WATCH: Jennifer Aniston SHOCKS Billy Crudup With Her Guilty Pleasure Watch
Sandler creates movies and television specials that people want to rewatch. The kind you put on when you don't want to think too hard but still want to feel something. That's why Aniston telling JustWatch that she's a massive fan of Sandler's 2018 Netflix stand-up comedy special, Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh, doesn't feel surprising at all. Even if it caught her The Morning Show co-star Billy Crudup off guard.
"You know what I watched many, many, many, many times over and over again—100% Fresh," Aniston said without hesitation. "It was Sandler's first show that he did for Netflix, where he wrote all of these songs. He performs… He does… It's brilliant. You will laugh. You will cry. And it is incredible." Crudup may have been surprised, but viewers who've spent any time with Sandler's work probably weren't.
Adam Sandler Still Works (And Always Has)
Before the dramatic acclaim and Netflix deals, Sandler built his career on something deceptively difficult: making audiences feel comfortable. From his Saturday Night Live (1975) days to blockbuster comedies, his humor was never just about punchlines. It was about awkward sweetness, loyalty, and characters who felt oddly real beneath the slapstick chaos.
The Wedding Singer (1998) remains one of the clearest examples. On paper, it's a ridiculous '80s-set romantic comedy. But in practice, it's one of the most sincere rom-coms ever made, which is largely because of Sandler's performance. His airplane rendition of "Grow Old With You" somehow turns a goofy premise into a genuinely romantic movie moment that still works decades later.
That very specific emotional undercurrent carried through films like Big Daddy (1999), Mr. Deeds (2002), and 50 First Dates (2004). All these movies start as broad comedies but sneakily deliver some serious emotional messages when you least expect them. Then came the reminder that Sandler could go so much further than playing the loveable goofball.
His performances in projects like 2019's Uncut Gems showed a completely different intensity, proving that the vulnerability audiences sensed all along wasn't accidental. And with newer dramatic work alongside George Clooney in 2025's Jay Kelly, Sandler continues to shift expectations while still returning to the comedy style that made audiences love him in the first place.
Why To Watch 'Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh' (And What To Watch After)
Released as Sandler's first Netflix comedy special, Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh feels less like traditional stand-up and more like spending an evening inside his creative brain. The special features live performances from different venues with original comedic songs that range from absurd observations to unexpectedly heartfelt reflections on family, aging, and friendship.
One second you're laughing at an intentionally silly lyric, and the next, you're totally caught off guard by a meaningful anecdote (which is the emotional swing that Aniston was talking about). It's what makes the special stand out among Netflix's comedy lineup. It's ideal for anyone who enjoys musical comedy or storytelling stand-up.
If 100% Fresh leaves you wanting more Sandler (and it probably will), the obvious next step is revisiting his collaborations with Aniston, starting with the 2011 comedy, Just Go With It. The story follows plastic surgeon Dr. Danny Maccabee (Sandler), who gets his assistant Katherine Murphy (Aniston) to pretend to be his ex-wife during a trip to Hawaii, so that he can win over Palmer Dodge (Brooklyn Decker).
Murder Mystery (2019) is also a must. The story begins when a married couple, Nick (Sandler) and Audrey (Aniston) Spitz, go on a European vacation. But their carefully planned downtime turns into a murder investigation when they're framed for a billionaire's death aboard a luxury yacht. It's a fun movie where the actors' chemistry does most of the heavy lifting.
