We discuss 10 Movies like 21 Jump Street you must watch. Add these well-recommended and highly-rated films to your watch list.
When 21 Jump Street came out, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum were at the height of their careers and incredibly well-known.
Although Tatum was known for his romance films and, of course, Magic Mike, his fans knew that he had some comedic chops that weren’t on full display.
Everyone knows how talented Hill is; his dry sense of humor can make anyone crack a smile. So when they decided to remake the classic television show 21 Jump Street, they picked the right pair to do it.
Hill and Tatum play a pair of underachieving cops who are sent back to a local high school to blend in and bring down a synthetic drug ring. It’s as simple as finding the dealer and arresting the supplier, but of course, it was never that easy for Schmidt and Jenko.
Buddy cop comedies or teen comedies are a different breed entirely, you either appreciate the humor or you don’t. The films listed below all have incredible comedy duos that carried their films to success.
10 Movies like 21 Jump Street
Superbad (2007)
Co-written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, this film brought Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse to cult status. Two co-dependent high school seniors are forced to deal with separation anxiety after their plan to stage a booze-soaked party goes awry.
American Pie (1999)
Each generation has that one sexual movie that defines the high school experience, and for the 90s/2000s babies, it’s American Pie. The story is simple; four teenage boys enter a pact to lose their virginity by prom night.
The four of them all have vastly different personalities and are obsessed with losing their virginity before they graduate, so they become competitive with each other.
Hot Fuzz (2007)
If you haven’t dipped your toe into the Edgar Wright Cornetto Trilogy, then you’re missing out. Hot Fuzz is the second film in the trilogy right after Shaun of the Dead.
In this installment, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost return as skilled London police officers. The two of them irritate their superiors and are transferred to a village where the easygoing officers object to his fervor for regulations as a string of grisly murders strikes the town.
Pineapple Express (2008)
Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg got back to writing and gave the world this classic stoner comedy. A process server and his marijuana dealer wind up on the run from hitmen and a corrupt police officer after he witnesses his dealer’s boss murder a competitor while trying to serve papers on him.
The Other Guys (2010)
At one time, buddy cop comedies were all the rage. No one would have thought that Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg would have worked as a pairing, but they did. Two mismatched New York City detectives seize an opportunity to step up like the city’s top cops, whom they idolize, only things don’t quite go as planned.
Ride Along (2014)
Ice Cube has always had great comedic timing (as we see in 21 Jump Street), and Kevin Hart is always hilarious. The two of them together had great comedic chemistry to the point where they made a sequel to this.
Security guard Ben must prove himself to his girlfriend’s brother, top police officer James. So naturally, James offers Ben an opportunity to ride with him in his cop car to see if he has the chops.
Bad Boys (1995)
At one point, Michael Bay had some clout because his action films were jam-packed with incredible scenes. Bad Boys, starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, became one of the biggest movies for Bay. Two hip detectives protect a witness to a murder while investigating a case of stolen heroin from the evidence storage room of their police precinct.
Lethal Weapon (1987)
Buddy cop comedies in the 80s were totally different, and it seems like the sub-genre has continued to evolve over time. Lethal Weapon became one of the biggest action comedies because of Danny Glover and Mel Gibson. Their banter is what made the films so fun to watch.
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Eddie Murphy was untouchable in the 80s/90s. He has one of the best careers as an SNL alum. Murphy plays a freewheeling Detroit cop named Axel Foley. As he is pursuing a murder investigation, he finds himself dealing with the very different culture of Beverly Hills.
Rush Hour (1998)
Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan are legends, so when you put two legends together, you strike comedy gold. A loyal and dedicated Hong Kong inspector teams up with a reckless and loudmouthed L.A.P.D. detective to rescue the Chinese Consul’s kidnapped daughter while trying to arrest a dangerous crime lord along the way.
Do you have any other recommendations for movies like 21 Jump Street? Let us know in the comments below.
