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2. In the Heat of the Night (1967)

Arguably the first movie ever in this genre, the 1967 Best Picture winner at the Academy Awards was a product of its times in many ways. Yes, once more we have a black cop with a white cop (though, in Se7en, at least, the age roles from this film had been reversed). Here, it is Sydney Poitier who plays the young but aggressive and somewhat idealistic cop. He is flanked by the racist, reluctant Rod Steiger (who won Best Actor), as they try to uncover a racially-motivated crime in the Deep South.

Of all the movies I’ve listed today, this one has by the far the deepest meanings, the most things to say. Perhaps all you need to recall is the famous scene in which Poitier’s character slaps Larry Gates’ across the face in response to his own slap, a thinly-veiled allegory to slapping away racism and racist individuals. Poitier’s hell is the small southern town that seems to be full of virulent hatred towards at the very least him, as well as other African Americans. But, at the same time, he and Steiger eventually begin a partnership that is also an obvious allegory - it is time to fix the broken race relations in America.

The film was a hit, and delved with the problem of racism much more than, say, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?, also nominated for top Oscar gold that year. To say that it was all that plus a buddy cop movie with a smart murder mystery at its core is to show just how inventive and time-lasting it is.

1. Lethal Weapon (1987)

But come on, the buddy cop genre is at bottom, or perhaps, at its best, a comedy subgenre, isn’t it? Just ask Zootopia and The Heat and Central Intelligence and all the recent spate of this genre.

Lethal Weapon, with Danny Glover as the (what else) black, more settled cop, and Mel Gibson as the wild-haired, wild-eyed, and somewhat unstable rookie, is a classic of comedy, of action, and even of some drama.

Yes, the movie features the typical comedic arc you see in these films - the two cops don’t like each other at first, but grow to trust and respect each other eventually. But at least the reasons here make the characters more multidimensional than in other films - Gibson’s character is suffering from PTSD caused by the Vietnam War, and Glover’s is worried about old age and also by the fact that the victim of the crime they’re investigating is his buddy’s daughter.

Gun fights and sleuthing populate the center parts of this movie, and (who else!?) Gary Busey also makes an appearance. In between, the two provide a few laughs and somehow grow to actually respect each other until the exciting, thrilling finale.

The movie spawned a series of sequels, none, of course, ever as successful. But, arguably, Lethal Weapon set the course for what was then a still young genre by adding some of the sillier stereotypes (does it always have to be a black and a white cop?) as well as some of the more iconic and memorably funny moments. Most movies, I’d argue, that aspire to make it in the genre have to measure themselves up to Lethal Weapon.

The only real question is: does Silence of the Lambs count?

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