10 Movies To Watch If You Liked ‘Bad Boys

It’s no secret that 2024’s summer movie season has gotten off to a relatively slow start. While Dune: Part Two and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire were successful within the first half of the year, films like Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and The Fall Guy have fallen well short of expectations for proposed summer blockbusters. That being said, the latest legacy sequel, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, may be the crowd-pleasing favorite that gets audiences excited about going to the movie theater again. The franchise formula proved to be successful, with positive reviews indicating that the film should be more than satisfactory for massive fans of the franchise.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die sees directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah returning to the franchise after Bad Boys For Life became a hit in 2020. In the new sequel, Mike Lowery (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) team up once again to clear the name of their departed captain, Conrad Howard (Joe Pantaliano). While it certainly relies on the mythology of the previous installments in the series, Bad Boys: Ride or Die is a throwback to classic buddy cop action blockbusters. Here are ten movies to watch if you like Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

10 ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ (1984)

Directed by Martin Brest

The Bad Boys franchise has succeeded thus far thanks to the unmatched chemistry between Smith and Lawrence; even when the films’ plots are less satisfying, seeing these two fun characters interact is more than satisfying. Similarly, the original Beverly Hills Cop coasted on the charisma of Eddie Murphy when he was at the height of his powers. While Murphy had proven himself as a comedy star with 48 Hrs. and Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop was proof that he could be an action lead.

Although the film earned a surprise Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, Beverly Hills Cop is far more action-packed than it’s remembered as being, and gets surprisingly dark in some instances. Although its two direct sequels failed to capture the same unique tone, there is a heavy amount of anticipation for the upcoming legacy sequel Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F that is scheduled to hit Netflix this summer.

9 ‘Running Scared’ (1986)

Directed by Peter Hyams

The appeal of the Bad Boys films is that they pair two actors with completely different sensibilities on screen together; while Lawrence is well-known for appearing in broad slapstick comedies, Smith is more closely associated with action films like Independence Day and I Am Legend. When it comes to cop thrillers about mismatched partners, Running Scared succeeded by pitting two very different comedic actors against each other. Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines starred in this classic Chicago film about two cops that are tasked with pulling off one last case before their retirement.

Similar to Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Running Scared finds the perfect balance between action and comedy. Hyams, an underrated filmmaker behind gems like 2010: The Year We Made Contact and Capricorn One, manages to pull off some impressive stunt sequences. However, the great one-liners traded between Crystal and Hines ensure that the film never risks taking itself too seriously.

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8 ‘Midnight Run’ (1988)

Directed by Martin Brest

Bad Boys may have been a successful franchise for nearly three decades, but buddy cop movies simply don’t get better than Midnight Run. After perfecting the genre with Beverly Hills Cop, director Martin Brest crafted this crowd-pleasing favorite about a hitman (Robert De Niro) who is forced to transport a prisoner (Charles Grodin) over the course of a long road trip. Wacky hijinks ensue, leading to an action spectacle that results in a surprising friendship.

The Bad Boys films have succeeded thus far because they show how the passage of time affects the characters. Similarly, Midnight Run succeeds compared to other action comedies because of its more heartfelt qualities. While De Niro and Grodin trade more than a few insults at each other’s expense, there’s a heartfelt connection that is bridged between them by the time the story wraps up.

7 ‘The Last Boy Scout’ (1991)

Directed by Tony Scott

Considering that the original Bad Boys was released in 1995, all of its sequels retain the same kinetic, over-the-top style that defined one of the best decades in the history of action cinema. Tony Scott helmed many of these classics, but The Last Boy Scout is a unique buddy cop film that has grown a strong cult fanbase. The film centers on an idiosyncratic private investigator (Bruce Willis) who teams up with a popular athlete (Damon Wayans) to explore a political conspiracy mystery related to the NFL.

While Willis and Wayans are unmatched in their star power, The Last Boy Scout benefited from a great script from screenwriter Shane Black. Black, who would go on to write and direct such classics as Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and The Nice Guys, knows how to write cunning, snappy dialogue like no one else.

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6 ‘Lethal Weapon 4’ (1998)

Directed by Richard Donner

One of the most impressive aspects of Bad Boys: Ride or Die is that it doesn’t simply feel like a “greatest hits” of previous entries; four entries in, and the Bad Boys series is still breaking new ground. While it’s hard to retain enthusiasm for a franchise that already has a trilogy under its belt, Lethal Weapon 4 was a solid action sequel that brought the franchise to a satisfying conclusion. Although the dynamic between Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh (Danny Glover) was enough for the film to succeed, Lethal Weapon 4 also introduced Jet Li and Chris Rock into the franchise.

Like Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Lethal Weapon 4 succeeded by adding more comedy to the series and acknowledging that the central duo had aged since their first adventure. While rumors persist that a fifth installment in the series could still be in development, Lethal Weapon 4 at least allowed for the beloved franchise to go out on a high note.

5 ‘Starsky & Hutch’ (2004)

Directed by Todd Phillips

One of the primary influences behind Bad Boys were many of the classic buddy cop action series from the 1970s. While the original show was a bit more grounded and serious, Todd Phillips’ reimagining of the Starsky & Hutch show was a hilarious send-up of action comedies. The titular roles were played by Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, each of whom brought their singular comedic charm to the project. The film lampoons how completely incompetent and ill-equipped for their responsibilities the two protagonists really are.

While Phillips would eventually trek into more serious territory as a filmmaker with his Academy Award-nominated drama Joker and the underrated satire War Dogs, Starsky & Hutch contains much of the broad comedy that makes Bad Boys: Ride or Die so entertaining. Even the most intense moments of action and spectacle are undercut by clever one-liners.

4 ‘Hot Fuzz’ (2007)

Directed by Edgar Wright

Bad Boys soon became so popular that it was placed on a shortlist of the greatest action films of the 1990s. Ironically, Bad Boys II is referenced specifically in Edgar Wright’s action comedy Hot Fuzz. Wright’s absurd satire of cop thrillers focuses on a big city police officer (Simon Pegg) who is forced to work with a mild-mannered cop (Nick Frost) in a small town, only to discover that there is a larger conspiracy at play. As with all of the films in Wright’s unofficial “Three Colors Trilogy,” Hot Fuzz’s success rests on the chemistry between Frost and Pegg, who are best friends in real life.

Hot Fuzz is a love letter to action cinema and certainly doesn’t skimp on great set pieces. While it’s subversive and silly in the way that many of Wright’s films are, Hot Fuzz makes full use of its R-rating during the bloody climax.

3 ‘Men in Black 3’ (2012)

Directed by Barry Sonnenfield

The success of Bad Boys: Ride or Die is somewhat surprising, as Smith does not always do sequels; he famously did not reprise his roles in either Independence Day: Resurgence or The Suicide Squad, and the development of a sequel to I Am Legend has been stagnant since 2007. However, Men in Black 3 shows why Smith benefits from returning to play a character. While Men in Black II was a major disappointment, the third entry in Barry Sonnenfeld’s science fiction comedy series took a more heartfelt approach to the material.

The third Men in Black film sees Smith’s Agent J traveling back in time to the 1960s, where he meets a younger version of his partner, Agent K (Josh Brolin). Men in Black 3 allowed Smith to exercise his charisma by playing one of his best characters. Unsurprisingly, the subsequent sequel, Men in Black International, failed without his involvement.

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2 ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’ (2017)

Directed by Patrick Hughes

Star power is a major reason why Bad Boys: Ride or Die lives up to the hype. While it may not reach the same heights as previous installments in the series, the new film is at its best when it allows Lawrence and Smith to bounce off each other’s energies. There’s no better example of the importance of good casting in a buddy cop movie than The Hitman’s Bodyguard. The 2017 action film centers on a bodyguard (Ryan Reynolds) who is forced to protect a rival assassin (Samuel L. Jackson) as they await the trial of a dangerous dictator (Gary Oldman).

While it won’t win any points for originality, The Hitman’s Bodyguard succeeds thanks to the relentless charm of its two stars. Reynolds is perfect at playing snappy, sardonic action heroes, and no one delivers enraged profanities quite like Jackson. The film also served as a breakout for director Patrick Hughes, who returned to direct the underrated sequel, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.

1 ‘Ambulance’ (2022)

Directed by Michael Bay

While Michael Bay only directed the first two films in the Bad Boys series, the subsequent entries certainly retain some of his visual and aesthetic hallmarks. He may have wasted too many years making terrible Transformers sequels, but Bay made a serious comeback with his getaway thriller Ambulance. Set in Los Angeles, the film follows two lifelong friends (Jake Gyllenhaal and Yayah Abdul Mateen II) as they hijack an ambulance while eluding the cops.

Ambulance features all the haphazard mayhem and violence that Bay is best at, as he is free to utilize all the extravagance of an R-rating. Like in the original Bad Boys films, Bay succeeds because he never stops to question the absurdity of the situation. Between its frequent drone shots and jaw-dropping final set piece, Ambulance has already marked itself as one of Bay’s best, alongside The Rock and Armageddon.

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