7. A Private Detective And An American Football Player (The Last Boy Scout)
Another pairing that we have Shane Black to thank for can be found in The Last Boy Scout, a film directed by the late Tony Scott. The story is set against the backdrop of sports gambling, a somewhat controversial subject in America, and sees Bruce Willis starring as Joe Hallenback, a secret service agent turned private detective. Hired to act as a bodyguard for a stripper named Cory (played by a then little-known Halle Berry), Joe crosses paths with her boyfriend Jimmy Dix (Damon Wayans), a disgraced American Football star, with whom he fights before saving him from an attack by hitmen, which results in Corys death. The two then form a tumultuous partnership to investigate the matter, uncovering a conspiracy that incorporates both politics and gambling. The film ultimately disappoints despite the fact that Black was paid a then-record sum of $1.75 million to write it, but its twist on the buddy cop dynamic is an interesting one.