The ‘80s helped shape the action-comedy genre we still enjoy today — and “Beverly Hills Cop” was at the forefront of that development. Now, 40 years later, the impact of this particular franchise is still palpable. For anyone who hasn’t seen the movie in a decade or four, Eddie Murphy leads the franchise as Axel Foley, a Detroit cop who heads to Beverly Hills not for the palm trees but to get justice for his childhood friend’s murder.
The comedic elements of the series helped define the buddy-cop dynamic that’s become a staple in the action-comedy genre. The 1994 sequel “Beverly Hills Cop III” marked the franchise's last installment before Netflix’s recent hit, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.” So, now that Netflix has revived the series, here are five movies like “Beverly Hills Cop” to stream after rewatching the OG.
'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F'
Of course, watching the first two sequels is necessary in the movie marathon. But after you’ve done that, it’s time to hit up “Axel F.” In some cases, reboot sequels are better than early installments, which are often met with lackluster excitement. Yet enough time has passed for the cast and fans to crave that nostalgia, leading to most cast members coming back and adding a fresh spin on a beloved franchise.
Naturally, the passage of a few decades changes the game for the main characters, who are years into their careers and have to grapple with the fact that there are new kids in town. Speaking of kids, Taylour Paige takes on the role of Axel’s daughter Jane, whose life is threatened alongside his former partner Billy (Judge Reinhold). We get to see the father-daughter duo team up together while Jane’s ex-boyfriend Bobby (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) assists in the investigation.
On top of Reinhold and Murphy, John Aston (John), Bronson Pinchot (Serge), and Paul Reiser (Jeffrey) also reprise their roles. Despite its 2024 release, the sequel still manages to capture those ‘80s vibes we know and love.
Watch on Netflix
'48 Hours'
While most people think of “Beverly Hills Cop” when it comes to Murphy’s legacy in action-comedy cop movies, “48 Hours” came first in 1982. In fact, it was his first major break in the industry. Murphy (Reggie) and Nick Nolte (Jack) star as partners in this high-stakes often vulgar and always funny buddy cop movie. Unlike most films with this formula, the unlikely duo consists of a cop and a criminal.
So, who’s who? Nolte plays the detective and Murphy plays the convict charged to Reggie. Between the one-liners and mild slapstick comedy, Reggie teaches Jack how to be a little less impulsive while Reggie encourages Jack to be a little more impulsive while they chase a murderer.
Watch on Paramount Plus
'Bad Boys for Life'
Instead of Beverly Hills, “Bad Boys for Life” takes an investigation to the equally sunny Miami, Florida. There’s nothing quite like some good old-fashioned drug dealing to bring a mother and son closer together. Will Smith (Lt. Mike) and Martin Lawrence (Lt. Marcus) play Miami detectives tasked with bringing down the mother-son drug lord duo Isabel (Kate Del Castillo) and Armondo (Jacob Scipio). To make matters more complicated, Mike and Isabel have a messy history.
2020’s “Bad Boys for Life” moves the buddy-cop genre in a modern direction with a combo of outrageous stunts, humor, crime-fighting, and, of course, palm trees. The film even features a cameo rom famed producer Michael Bay (who’s usually responsible for his movies’ intense action sequences).
Watch on Hulu
'Lethal Weapon'
The ‘80s really were peak action comedies. Alongside “Beverly Hills Cop” and “48 Hours,” “Lethal Weapon” remains one of the most beloved installments in the genre. Mel Gibson (Martin) and Danny Glover (Roger) lead the movie as new LAPD partners whose approaches to crime-fighting clash. As is always the case, their combative personalities complement each other. Not to mention, this dynamic is almost always entertaining (and funny) to watch.
Like many cop movies in the action-comedy genre, these partners are on a mission to take down a drug smuggling gang. Given that the franchise consists of four movies, this duo obviously works. And unlike most buddy cop franchises with multiple installments, both leads star in all four.
'Rush Hour'
Jackie Chan doesn’t just do kung fu movies. In 1998, he played Hong Kong inspector Lee who works alongside LAPD cop Carter (Chris Tucker) in “Rush Hour.” Brett Ratner directed the movie that hinges on the unlikely partners rescuing the Chinese Consul’s daughter while taking down, you guessed it, a crime lord. Given that the Consul’s daughter is only 11, the stakes are high.
Naturally, the partners’ approaches are very different — especially because Carter doesn’t play well with others. Hey, if a formula works it works. Obviously, they get over their mutual disdain for each other considering they teamed up for two more movies.
More from Tom's Guide
