Hollywood still tends to be far too oriented around romance and coupling. That's why buddy movies offer a fresh and entertaining alternative. Such films value loyalty and friendship, emphasising action and comedy over sweet talk.
Buddy movies are light-hearted and super easy to watch. Thus it's no wonder that on a platform like Netflix, you'll find plenty of them.
We've picked out our favourites if you're looking for something to check out on a night in with your own buddy.
Step Brothers
It's a modern classic that's quoted endlessly, and features a scene where Will Ferrell rubs his balls on a drum set. In fact, Will Ferrell actually kept the prosthetic balls as a keepsake. Leaving aside the obvious choices of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, you've got two truly gifted and completely unlikely choices to play their respective parents - Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins. It oddly works.
Dumb and Dumber
'MOCK... YEAH'. 'ING, YEAH.' You know the words, right? If not, then sit yourself down tonight to watch this Farrelly brothers' classic tonight. Harry and Lloyd gave us some of the most quotable comedy lines of the nineties and we could not be anymore exci-red about the upcoming sequel. It's Jim Carrey back in the days when EVERYTHING Jim Carrey said was funny and Jeff Daniels pre-Newsroom days. Get yourself some popcorn and enjoy the many laughs, because this flick just doesn't get old.
Role Models
Two irresponsible salesmen find themselves in trouble with the law after crashing their truck. To avoid jail, they agree to undertake community service looking after a couple of troubled kids. However, it soon seems that going to prison would have been the easier option. The never-aging Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, 'Superbad's Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Jane Lynch star in this underrated, charming buddy comedy.
American Pie
There's not a whole lot more to say about 'American Pie' than has already been said. Viewers find its gross-out sense of humour either completely repulsive or absolutely hilarious. The film turns 21 this year and follows a group of high school friends as they make a pact to lose their virginity before graduation. Many of its stars have gone on to major movie and TV careers.
Yeah we're not going to include a clip here. (filth...)
Superbad
Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg wrote this comedic gem loosely based on their own school experiences in the '90s. Michael Cera and Jonah Hill play two hapless high school seniors trying to get their hands on some booze for a party ringing in their last day of school. Emma Stone stars in her first big-screen role; Christopher Mintz-Plasse gives a star-making performance as Fogell aka McLovin; and Rogen and Bill Hader play two completely inappropriate cops.
This is the End
Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride and Craig Robinson play themselves in this hilarious apocalyptic comedy. Jay and Seth head along to James' housewarming - with attendees also including Paul Rudd, Emma Watson and Rihanna. Suddenly a earthquake breaks up the party and the guys realise this could be the end. No better time to get hammered then right?
The Hangover
You know the drill. Three men on a stag weekend in Las Vegas wake up after a night of heavy drinking and find they have not only misplaced the groom, but somehow gained a tiger and a baby. Unable to remember the details of the night before, they set about piecing the clues together in the hope of finding their missing friend. It's the film that launched the career of Zach Galifianakis and spawned two completely unnecessary sequels.
Sisters
We'd watch real life BFFs Tina Fey and Amy Poehler in anything, to be fair. And while 'Mean Girls' remains their best collaboration, this one sees the actresses front and centre. They play, you guessed it, sisters, who revisit their childhood home upon discovering their parents are about to sell it. The siblings used to throw legendary parties so they decide to host one last mad night with their former school friends - now all grown up too - for old time's sake.
Hot Fuzz
The Simon Pegg and Nick Frost team-up movies just never get old. In 'Hot Fuzz', Pegg's Nicholas Angel, a top London copper, gets sent to a quiet country town to stop making his superiors look bad. Paired with small town policeman Danny Butterman (Frost), Angel struggles to get used to the slow pace of country life. When several locals end up dead in a series of grisly accidents, Angel suspects that there is some foul play afoot.
Bad Boys
The recent threequel 'Bad Boys For Life' actually ended up getting quite good reviews. So you might want to go back to the one that started it all. The Michael Bay-directed feature (in his debut, actually) follows Will Smith and Martin Lawrence's Miami narcotics police detectives on a challenging assignment. The movie made an enormous profit upon its release in 1995, grossing $141.4 million at the box office against a $19 million budget.
21 Jump Street
No one was sure how exactly this remake of the TV series of the same name was going to work. But Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill pull it off. They play a former high school jock and 'nerd' who grow up to become friends and cop partners. They're assigned to pose at students and discover the roots of a synthetic drug spreading at a local school. Ice Cube as their boss, Captain Dickson, makes for a laugh-out-loud funny support.
See No Evil Hear No Evil
Released in 1989, 'See No Evil Hear No Evil' is the oldest entry on our picks of buddy movies on Netflix. It has aged like a fine wine thanks to the timeless, hilarious performances of leads Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, and their magnificent chemistry. Pryor plays a blind man while Wilder's character is deaf. The two make friends and eventually get accidentally caught up in a crime caper when they (sort of) witness a murder. A high concept movie expertly executed.
Pitch Perfect
'Pitch Perfect' ended up inspiring two sequels. But you gotta love the first the best. Anna Kendrick plays Beca, a freshman at Barden University, who gets talked into joining the school's all-girls singing group, The Barden Bellas. As well as impressive covers and some very funny performances from Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Ben Platt and Adam Devine, it's a sweet, feel-good saga about friendship.
