10 Best Buddy Cop Movies Of All Time

3. 48 Hrs.

48 Hrs. is arguably the first buddy cop film, despite one buddy actually being a criminal. A young Eddie Murphy plays as the con currently holding a badge across from Nick Nolte. Unlike the comedy which would be mimicked in all the other movies of the genre, Murphy has a relaxed humour about him which makes his character warm and friendly. Still, it is only when provided support by Nolte that his character could really take off as the cop/criminal dichotomy set the tone for an entire new type of films.

Under the guidance of director Walter Hill, 48 Hrs. suffers from a then-acceptable use of the N-Word as it otherwise delights the audience with brilliant grit and humour. “You’re going to be sorry you met me!” is inevitably replied to with “I already am sorry!” as the worst cop teams up with the worst criminal.

Although certain elements have not aged well, 48 Hrs. is still one of the greatest buddy cop films in history and the trend-setter for all that came after.