Buddy Action backdrop

Buddy Action movies

A duo (or tight team) drives the action: clashing styles, trust tests, banter, and teamwork under pressure.

The Guard

11. The Guard

Action Comedy Thriller Crime Buddy Action
7.3

20111h 36min

Ireland, United Kingdom

Director: John Michael McDonagh

An FBI agent is sent to assist provincial Irish policeman Gerry Boyle in investigating the activities of an international drug cartel. What was supposed to be a routine case turns into a series of absurd and dangerous situations, as Gerry, who is used to doing things his own way, handles investigations with highly unconventional methods that include heavy drinking, prostitutes, and racist jokes.

Themes

Deception and misdirection, Duty vs loyalty, Local policing and corruption, Shadow networks within ranks, Violence as consequence

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

2 Guns

12. 2 Guns

Action Comedy Crime Buddy Action Parody
6.7

20131h 49min

United States

Director: Baltasar Kormákur

A DEA agent and an undercover Naval Intelligence officer who have been tasked with investigating one another find they have been set up by the mob -- the very organization the two men believe they have been stealing money from.

Themes

Money as leverage, Betrayal under pressure, Deception within partnerships, Institutional intrigue and risk, Undercover double lives, Loyalty versus selfishness

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Men in Black 3

13. Men in Black 3

Action Comedy Science Fiction Time Travel Sci-Fi Buddy Comedy
6.8

20121h 46min

United Arab Emirates, United States

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld

Agents J and K are back...in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K's life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him - secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Time travel consequences, Trust vs manipulation, Authority vs secrecy, Information withholding, Memory and timeline stability

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Heat

14. The Heat

Action Comedy Crime Buddy Action Buddy Comedy
6.6

20131h 57min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Paul Feig

Uptight and straight-laced, FBI Special Agent Sarah Ashburn is a methodical investigator with a reputation for excellence--and hyper-arrogance. Shannon Mullins, one of Boston P.D.'s "finest," is foul-mouthed and has a very short fuse, and uses her gut instinct and street smarts to catch the most elusive criminals. Neither has ever had a partner, or a friend for that matter. When these two wildly incompatible law officers join forces to bring down a ruthless drug lord, they become the last thing anyone expected: buddies.

Themes

Interagency collaboration tensions, Gender roles in policing, Arrogance vs pragmatism, Family ties under stress, Foster child past, Partnership trust under pressure

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Other Guys

15. The Other Guys

Comedy Action Satire Buddy Action
6.7

20101h 47min

United States

Director: Adam McKay

Unlike their heroic counterparts on the force, desk-bound NYPD detectives Gamble and Hoitz garner no headlines as they work day to day. When a seemingly minor case turns out to be a big deal, the two cops get the opportunity to finally prove to their comrades that they have the right stuff.

Themes

Bureaucratic obstruction, Power and influence, Partnership under pressure, Duty vs ambition, Public image vs competence, Financial crime exposure

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Wild Target

16. Wild Target

Action Comedy Buddy Action Dark Comedy
6.7

20101h 38min

France, United Kingdom

Director: Jonathan Lynn

Victor Maynard is a middle-aged, solitary assassin who lives to please his formidable mother, despite his own peerless reputation for lethal efficiency. His professional routine is interrupted when he finds himself drawn to one of his intended victims. After sparing her life, he unexpectedly acquires a young apprentice. Believing Victor to be a private detective, his two new companions tag along, while he attempts to thwart the murderous attentions of his unhappy client.

Themes

Deception and disguise, Family obligation, Revenge and consequence, Apprentice mentorship, Loyalty vs love, Romance amid violence

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Rundown

17. The Rundown

Adventure Action Comedy Thriller Treasure Hunt
6.7

20031h 44min

United States

Director: Peter Berg

When Travis, the mouthy son of a criminal, disappears in the Amazon in search of a treasured artifact, his father sends in Beck, who becomes Travis's rival for the affections of Mariana, a mysterious Brazilian woman. With his steely disposition, Beck is a man of few words -- but it takes him all the discipline he can muster to work with Travis to nab a tyrant who's after the same treasure.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Debt-driven coercion, Outsider versus locals, Treasure as motive, Bargaining under risk, Violence as tool

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Die Hard: With a Vengeance

18. Die Hard: With a Vengeance

Action Thriller Buddy Action Investigation Suspense
7.6

19952h 8min

United States

Director: John McTiernan

New York detective John McClane is back and kicking bad-guy butt in the third installment of this action-packed series, which finds him teaming with civilian Zeus Carver to prevent the loss of innocent lives. McClane thought he'd seen it all, until a genius named Simon engages McClane, his new "partner" -- and his beloved city -- in a deadly game that demands their concentration.

Themes

Deception and misdirection, Urban siege pressures, Time-based coercion, Loyalties tested under stress, Economic destabilization, Collaboration across strangers

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Bad Boys II

19. Bad Boys II

Action Crime Comedy Buddy Action Narcotics Crime
6.6

20032h 26min

United States

Director: Michael Bay

Detectives Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowrey of the Miami Narcotics Task Force are tasked with stopping the flow of the drug Ecstasy into Miami. They track the drugs to the whacked-out Cuban drug lord Johnny Tapia, who is also involved in a bloody war with Russian and Haitian mobsters. If that isn't bad enough, there's tension between the two detectives when Marcus discovers that playboy Mike is secretly romancing Marcus’ sister, Syd.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Organized crime networks, Undercover deception risk, Interagency collaboration, Double lives and entanglements, Money laundering and drug trafficking

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Men in Black

20. Men in Black

Action Adventure Comedy Science Fiction Buddy Action
7.3

19971h 38min

United States

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld

After a police chase with an otherworldly being, a New York City cop is recruited as an agent in a top-secret organization established to monitor and police alien activity on Earth: the Men in Black. Agent K and new recruit Agent J find themselves in the middle of a deadly plot by an intergalactic terrorist who has arrived on Earth to assassinate two ambassadors from opposing galaxies.

Themes

Deception through disguise, Hidden rivalries, Duty and transformation, Agency under threat, Interstellar diplomacy, Technological supremacy

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.