Popular film genres ebb and flow. These days, everyone is doing superhero movies. In the 1940s, film noir was all the rage. In the '50s, sci-fi was in vogue. In the '60s, westerns were huge but have all but disappeared today. But one genre that has remained popular are buddy movies like Stuber. The upcoming film stars Kumail Nanjiani as an Uber driver who ends up being taken for a wild ride when he picks up a super cop played by Dave Bautista. And despite the modern setting of an Uber, the movie still adheres to the classic buddy movie formula.
A buddy movie should feature two clear leads: no more, no less. These two leads should either be best friends to start and then go on an adventure together that challenges their friendship (like in Superbad or Dumb & Dumber), or they should be polar opposites who do not get along but become friends thanks to an adventure they reluctantly go on together (think Planes, Trains, and Automobiles or The Heat). Stuber fits into this latter category, and though the film's trailer doesn't show its two leads becoming BFFs, you can bet dollars to donuts that they'll be pretty close by the film's end.
But that formula didn't just appear out of thin air. Films like Stuber have been around forever, and as you can see from the 21 buddy movies currently streaming below, they come in all shapes and sizes.
1
'The Emperor’s New Groove' (Netflix)
The Disney animated classic pairs an egotistical talking llama/emperor with a humble farmer for a journey of self-discovery.
2
'In Bruges' (Netflix)
This dark comedy sends two hitmen to the beautiful but boring city of Bruges, Belgium.
3
'Starsky And Hutch' (Netflix)
Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson star as the title characters in this reimagining of the '70s buddy cop series.
4
'Hot Fuzz' (Netflix)
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost team up for this over-the-top buddy cop film.
5
'The Breaker Upperers' (Netflix)
This New Zealand comedy stars Madeleine Sami and Jackie van Beek as two women who run a business that helps people break up with their significant others. The pair also wrote and directed the film.
6
'Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay' (Netflix)
The second installment in the franchise plants stoners Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) in the notorious Cuban prison.
7
'The Last Laugh' (Netflix)
This Netflix original pairs a talent agent (Chevy Chase) with his old comedian client (Richard Dreyfuss) for one last tour.
8
'Pineapple Express' (Netflix)
A stoner (Seth Rogen) and his dealer (James Franco) end up on the run together after one of them witnesses a murder.
9
'Superbad' (Hulu)
High school best friends Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) have one wild night as they attempt to lose their virginity.
10
'Swingers' (Hulu)
The classic '90s comedy sees Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn struggling to get dates in L.A. and Vegas.
11
'The Spy Who Dumped Me' (Hulu/Amazon Prime)
Kate McKinnon and Mila Kunis are best friends who get caught up in the world of international espionage.
12
'Running Scared' (Hulu/Amazon Prime)
Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines star in this early example of a buddy cop film.
13
Planes, Trains, And Automobiles (Hulu/Amazon Prime)
One of the most perfect comedies ever made sees Steve Martin get stuck with annoying John Candy as a travel partner as he tries to make it from New York to Chicago in time for Thanksgiving.
14
'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' (Hulu/Amazon Prime)
Steve Martin and Michael Caine portray two conmen working on the same mark. This classic film saw a gender-swapped remake this year with The Hustle.
15
'Heartbreakers' (Amazon Prime)
Another movie about con artists, this film teams a mother (Sigourney Weaver) and daughter (Jennifer Love Hewitt) together as a gold digging duo.
16
'Talladega Nights' (Amazon Prime)
Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly had their first goofball pairing in this farce that lampoons NASCAR culture.
17
'Road To Bali' (Amazon Prime)
Bob Hope and Bing Crosby practically invented the buddy road genre with their Road To... series of films. This 1952 entry was the sixth in the franchise, and the first to be filmed in color.
18
'Rush Hour' (Amazon Prime)
The first in the trilogy of buddy cop films featuring the unexpected pairing of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.
19
'Shanghai Knights' (HBO Now)
Not content with just one buddy action/comedy franchise, Chan also teamed up with Owen Wilson for two Shanghai films, with this being the second.
20
'Freaky Friday' (HBO Now)
Although this Disney remake may not be a traditional buddy film, it still features two polar opposite characters who come to find a mutual respect in one another.
21
'Spies Like Us' (HBO Now)
Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd team up for this Cold War comedy, an homage to Hope and Crosby's Road To... films.
If watching Stuber puts you in the mood for more buddy movies, then this streaming guide should come in awfully handy — just be sure to watch them with a friend.
