Movies

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024
Image credit: Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Orion Pictures, Rogue Pictures, New Line Cinema, Sony Pictures Releasing

In an age where CGI dominates, these classics stick to basics: good script, great delivery, the human touch.

These 25, they’re not relics; they’re reminders. In comedy, like in friendship, some things just don't get old.

1. "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" (1987)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 1An advertising executive struggles to travel home for Thanksgiving with a loquacious and clumsy curtain salesman, resulting in various travel mishaps and comedic situations.

2. "Lethal Weapon" (1987)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 2A suicidal narcotics cop with a death wish is paired with a veteran detective looking to retire peacefully, but they must set aside their differences to dismantle a drug ring.

3. "The Blues Brothers" (1980)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 3Two brothers reunite their blues band to save the Catholic home where they were raised, creating chaos across Chicago as they try to raise money through performances.

4. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 4Two notorious outlaws and their gang embark on a series of bank and train robberies, leading to a final escape to Bolivia with law enforcement in hot pursuit.

5. "Midnight Run" (1988)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 5A bounty hunter with a reputation for delivering fugitives is tasked with escorting an accountant who embezzled millions across the country, facing various obstacles along the way.

6. "Tango & Cash" (1989)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 6Two rival LAPD narcotics detectives are framed for murder and must work together to clear their names, delving into the criminal underworld.

7. "48 Hrs." (1982)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 7A grizzled cop reluctantly teams up with a wise-cracking convict to track down a killer, leading to a clash of personalities and an unconventional partnership.

8. "Trading Places" (1983)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 8A wealthy broker and a homeless street hustler's lives are swapped as part of a bet, exposing them to different societal realities and leading to their mutual revenge against the schemers.

9. "Wayne's World" (1992)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 9Two rock fans broadcast a public-access TV show from a basement, leading to fame and a battle to save their show from a slick producer.

10. "Tommy Boy" (1995)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 10After his father's sudden death, an incompetent, lovable salesman must save his family's auto parts factory from bankruptcy, embarking on a road trip with his father's sycophantic assistant.

11. "Rush Hour" (1998)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 11A Hong Kong inspector and a loudmouth LAPD detective team up to rescue a diplomat's kidnapped daughter, leading to cultural clashes and unexpected camaraderie.

12. "Superbad" (2007)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 12Two inseparable high school friends try to enjoy their last days before college by attending a party, leading to a series of comedic misadventures and realizations about their friendship.

13. "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" (1989)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 13Two dim-witted teenagers travel through time to assemble historical figures for their school presentation, encountering various humorous scenarios along the way.

14. "Beverly Hills Cop" (1984)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 14A wise-cracking Detroit cop goes undercover in Beverly Hills to investigate his friend's murder, leading to a clash with the local police and uncovering a smuggling operation.

15. "Men in Black" (1997)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 15Two secret agents, part of a clandestine organization monitoring extraterrestrial interactions on Earth, uncover an intergalactic plot while trying to stop an alien terrorist.

16. "Starsky & Hutch" (2004)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 16Two mismatched detectives, one by-the-book and the other a laid-back maverick, team up to stop a drug dealer in this comedic take on the classic television series.

17. "Step Brothers" (2008)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 17Two middle-aged, immature men are forced to live together as stepbrothers, leading to absurd rivalry and bonding as they come to terms with their arrested development.

18. "The Odd Couple" (1968)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 18A neat-freak and a slob divorcee decide to live together, despite their polar opposite habits, leading to comedic conflicts and an unlikely friendship.

19. "White Men Can't Jump" (1992)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 19Two street basketball hustlers, one black and the other white, initially exploit each other's strengths but eventually team up for a bigger score, confronting racial stereotypes and personal issues.

20. "Bad Boys" (1995)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 20Two Miami narcotics detectives with contrasting styles protect a witness to a murder while investigating a case of stolen heroin, leading to action-packed and comedic situations.

21. "Wedding Crashers" (2005)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 21Two womanizing friends who crash weddings to meet women find themselves entangled in romantic and familial complications when one of them falls for a politician's daughter.

22. "Zoolander" (2001)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 22A dimwitted male supermodel becomes embroiled in a plot to assassinate a world leader by a corrupt fashion mogul, leading to a journey of self-discovery and a battle against brainwashing.

23. "Pineapple Express" (2008)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 23A process server and his marijuana dealer go on the run from hitmen and a corrupt police officer after witnessing them commit a murder, leading to comedic chaos.

24. "Hot Fuzz" (2007)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 24A top London cop is transferred to a seemingly quiet village and partnered with a bumbling officer, uncovering a series of grisly murders and a dark conspiracy among the townsfolk.

25. "The Hangover" (2009)

25 Classic Buddy Comedies That Still Hold Up in 2024 - image 25After a wild bachelor party in Las Vegas, three friends wake up with no memory of the previous night and must find their missing friend before his wedding.