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4. Point Break (1992)

Remember Kathryn Bigelow, the first woman to win a directing Oscar? Before she was famous for directing a war movie, she made what is now considered a cult classic among buddy cop novels. In Point Break, Keanu Reeves is the idealistic young FBI agent that teams up with the experienced Gary Busey (the latter being the seasoned veteran actor among the two, as you’d expect, just like in MIB).

The two are in pursuit of a group of bank robbers that wear the faces of Presidents (was this the first movie to use that trick? I think so). Some of the plot lines are now familiar - the young cop is not necessarily welcome until he proves his worth but, following a hunch that the robbers may be surfers, he goes undercover and befriends the mysterious character played by Patrick Swayze.

The movie glorifies young men in their reckless pursuit of independence and adventures, it features comedic undertones, and one cannot deny the sex appeal of the stars and supporting case. Keanu perhaps gives one of his last good performances, and one really has to admire Bigelow’s ability to tell distinctively male-centric stories in different and innovative ways.

3. Se7en (1995)

Perhaps considered one of David Fincher’s early masterpieces, here we go again with the older cop with the less seasoned cop. While we are at it, we should recall that Morgan Freeman is no slouch to the genre - Along Came A Spider is but one of his many buddy cop or buddy detective movies.

But when he paired up with Brad Pitt for this story about two detectives on the tracks of a killer that seems to be following the seven deadly sins, he undoubtedly gave us the most bone-chilling of them all.

It is not easy in a genre that is supposed to be strictly about mystery, action, and some blood, to do what Fincher did with this movie. He gave us more than thrills, he gave us visceral, bone-curling nightmares, particularly with the gruesome but on point imagery of the victims, and of course, one of the most devastating endings in the history of these types of films.

Supported by the superb Kevin Spacey (on the heels of his similar performance in The Usual Suspects) and by a staid Gwyneth Paltrow, the two play the eager vs. cynical cop quite well. Fincher’s attention to detail is everywhere, and is topped only by the allegorical mazes that the movie takes you through. This one is perhaps the most “classic” of them all.

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