Here's our ranking of best buddy cop movies in history, including some lesser-known and quite surprising contenders.
10. Blue Streak (1999)
Martin Lawrence plays Miles, a jewel thief who hides a diamond in a building under construction before getting arrested. Upon release, he finds out the building has become a police station. What to do? Impersonate a cop to get the diamond back, of course! Paired with a gullible partner played by Luke Wilson, Miles navigates through police work while plotting to retrieve his jewel.
9. The Guard (2011)
Irish humor meets American bravado in "The Guard." Brendan Gleeson plays Sergeant Gerry Boyle, a small-town Irish cop with a crude sense of humor and a less-than-ethical approach to policing. Along comes Wendell (Don Cheadle), an FBI agent in Ireland to stop an international drug-smuggling ring.
The two don't get along at first, but when Boyle's new partner disappears under mysterious circumstances, they team up to solve the case.
8. In Bruges (2008)
Not your typical buddy cop movie, but "In Bruges" offers a twist. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson play Ray and Ken, hitmen sent to Bruges, Belgium, to lay low after a job goes wrong. Instead of focusing on being cops, they're on the other side of the law. Ken enjoys the city's medieval charm while Ray is bored out of his mind.
They get into all sorts of trouble, including encounters with racist dwarfs and trigger-happy Canadians.
7. Hot Fuzz (2007)
Nicholas Angel, played by Simon Pegg, is a high-achieving London cop sent to a sleepy village because he's making everyone else look bad. Partnered with bumbling Danny Butterman (Nick Frost), Angel can't believe how dull his life has become. That is, until people start dying in gruesome "accidents."
Nicholas and Danny investigate and soon find themselves up against an entire village involved in a murderous conspiracy.
6. The Other Guys (2010)
Imagine you're not the superhero cop duo who save the day; you're the "other guys," stuck with paperwork. That's the fate of Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) and Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell), NYPD detectives living in the shadow of their heroic counterparts.
When those heroes meet an untimely end, Terry and Allen see their chance. They go after a big case involving a shady capitalist (Steve Coogan) and stumble through a series of ridiculous events like a car chase in a Prius and a hilarious encounter with Allen's oddly hot ex-wife (Eva Mendes).
5. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
Robert Downey Jr. plays Harry, a small-time crook pretending to be an actor, and Val Kilmer is Gay Perry, a private investigator. The two are thrown together when Harry accidentally lands a role in a Hollywood film. Things get crazy when they get tangled up in a real-life murder case.
One minute they're at a Hollywood party, the next they're dodging bullets and running from the cops. And if that's not chaotic enough, Harry finds himself falling for his high school crush, who's also entangled in the whole mess.
4. Bulletproof (1996)
Remember Adam Sandler in an action movie? Yeah, it happened. Sandler plays Archie, a car thief, opposite Damon Wayans' Rock, an undercover cop. The two used to be best friends, but now they're on opposite sides of the law.
Rock is tasked with bringing Archie in after a heist, but when a headshot doesn't kill him (don't worry, it's not as brutal as it sounds), the two end up having to protect each other from a dangerous drug lord. Through shootouts and awkward bonding moments, they try to survive and bring the villain down.
3. Showtime (2002)
Eddie Murphy and Robert De Niro in the same movie? Oh, you bet it's a wild ride! De Niro plays Mitch, a serious LAPD detective, and Murphy is Trey, a patrolman who dreams of becoming a TV star. The two are paired up for a reality show called "Showtime." Though they hate each other's guts, they have no choice but to make the show work.
In between staged car chases and ridiculous catchphrases, they stumble upon a real case involving illegal firearms.
2. The Nice Guys (2016)
Set in the '70s, this one's got the vibes and the fashion on point. Russell Crowe plays Jackson Healy, a hired enforcer, and Ryan Gosling is Holland March, a private detective. They cross paths while investigating the disappearance of a girl named Amelia.
What starts as a simple missing person case turns into a complex and dangerous investigation involving the auto industry and a dead porn star.
1. Running Scared (1986)
Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines play Danny and Ray, two Chicago cops who are great at their jobs but terrible at following the rules. After a drug bust goes haywire, they find themselves suspended. During their time off, they get a taste of paradise in Key West, Florida, and start thinking about early retirement.
But hey, what's a cop movie without one last job? They return to Chicago to bring down a drug lord named Julio.