Top 10 Best Buddy Cops from Movies

January 13, 2020June 9, 2020 Patrick Sessoms action comedy, action movie, based on a tv show, comedy, cops, LAPD, NYPD, police, tv adaptation

5. Yang Naing Lee and James Carter- Rush Hour

Hollywood doesn’t really care when it comes to jurisdiction.

Now, I said that in order to qualify for a spot, both partners had to be police officers. I never said that they had to be cops from America. That’s why I decided to include Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker’s characters from Rush Hour on this list of buddy cops. It’s east meets west as one of the best martial artists in movie history teams up with one of the biggest mouths. When the daughter of a Chinese Consul is kidnapped in LA, he calls in the best cop in Hong Kong to help with the case. The FBI isn’t big on that idea, so they pawn him off on the LAPD to keep him out of the way. Now, you don’t get to be the best cop in Hong Kong by sitting on the sideline, and pairing him with a street smart LA detective proves to be a winning combination as the two-track down the kidnappers and save the day.

4. Nicholas Angel and Danny Butterman- Hot Fuzz

Speaking of non-American Cops, the officers from Edgar Wright’s second entry in his cornetto trilogy are also making an appearance. Simon Pegg plays London super cop Nicholas Angel, who is so good at his job that he’s making the other officers look bad. In order to save face, they ship him off to the town of Sanford that has the lowest crime rate in England. There he’s paired with incompetent Constable Danny Butterman, played by Nick Frost. Just when Angel thinks he’s going to die of boredom in the quaint little town, he notices that something fishy is going on. No one else seems to believe him though, except for Danny. Together, the two launch an investigation into the strange happenings and discover a deep-rooted conspiracy. Pegg and Frost have always been a dynamic duo, so it makes sense that the two would also be some of the best buddy cops of all time.

3. David Mills and William Somerset- Se7en

There’s nothing worse than a creative serial killer.

It’s time to shift gears on this list of buddy cops as we move away from the comedies and move to one hell of a dark horror thriller. Morgan Freeman is the aging, analytical Detective Somerset who is paired with the new hot-headed Detective Mills, played by Brad Pitt, to show him the ropes before he retires. It turns out to be a hell of a case for the homicide detective to cut his teeth on when they discover that the case they’re investigating is the work of one of the most chilling serial killers in movie history. Basing his killings on the seven deadly sins, the two have to race against time before he can complete his gruesome collection. Soon they find themselves more involved in the case than they want with disastrous results. It was the feature film debut of David Fincher and remains one of his best to date.

2. Brian Taylor and Miguel “Mike” Zavala- End of Watch

Officers Mike Zavala (Michael Peña) and Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) tangle with a vicious drug cartel in *End of Watch*

Not all the buddy cops on this list are detectives. Two uniformed officers played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña find themselves in a living nightmare after being involved in a bust at a home associated with a cartel. They soon face reprisals as a bounty is placed on their heads, and they have to fight their way through a rough neighborhood if they have any prayer of survival. Outmanned and outgunned, they only hope they have is one another as they display all the comradery the boys in blue are known for. They selflessly put their lives on the line for each other time after time, preferring to die themselves than let their partner down. Not only are these two some of the best buddy cops I’ve ever seen, but I also believe that End of Watch is one of the best cartel films ever made.

1. Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh- Lethal Weapon

Together, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are the pinnacles of buddy cops. They are the partners that all other buddy cops are measured against and the perfect example that all other entries on this list aspire to. Martin Riggs is a crazed badass cop with a death wish. Roger Murtaugh is a family man that just wants to keep his head down and make it to retirement. When they get paired up, half of LA goes up in flames as they hunt down the worst criminals in the city. They follow their cases wherever they might lead and don’t back down from seeing justice done. True, these movies are from a time before Mel Gibson revealed he might not have really been acting when it came to the crazy parts of Riggs, but I’m not going to hold the actor’s actions against these wonderful characters, especially since they are the best buddy cops of all time.

Honorable Mention: Chris Danson and P. K. Highsmith- The Other Guys

Jackson and Johnson. Enough said. These two are supposedly the best cops in the NYPD and the idols of two other buddy cops on this list. Unfortunately, they don’t get a lot of time to prove it before their unfortunate demise. Still, I would definitely watch a movie with these two in it.

There are nearly countless other buddy cop movies out there with a lot of great partners. I’d love to hear what some of your favorites of all time are in the comments below. As always, I’ll be updating this list as new and improved buddy cops appear on the silver screen. Until then, stay sharp and watch each other’s backs.

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