In exciting news for fans of the long-running Bad Boys franchise, the latest installment, Bad Boys: Ride or Die is reportedly set to stream on Netflix starting next month. This news means that soon, viewers can enjoy the high-octane adventures of Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett from the comfort of their home. As Lowrey would say, “We ride together, we die together,” Netflix subscribers will have the chance to experience the wild ride with their favorite boys when the film comes to streaming in October.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die is the fourth film in the beloved series, following the original Bad Boys, Bad Boys II, and Bad Boys for Life, the last of which revived the franchise 17 years later. Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the movie sees Will Smith and Martin Lawrence returning to their iconic roles as Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. The plot centers around them being forced to turn into fugitives and work outside the law to clear their late Captain Conrad Howard’s name after he is falsely accused of being involved with drug cartels.
Familiar cast members from previous movies include Jacob Scipio, Vanessa Hudgens, Paola Núñez, Alexander Ludwig, DJ Khaled, and John Salley, while new additions to the franchise are Eric Dane, Ioan Gruffudd, Melanie Liburd, Tiffany Haddish, and more.
The movie arrived in theaters on June 5th, 2024, and it was a massive success at the box office. It became the tenth-highest grossing movie of the year by surpassing $400 million worldwide against its $100 million production budget. It has also won praise from critics, who may have thought the plot nonsensical but noted that Bad Boys: Ride or Die “is fun enough in its chaotic, grungy, rough and ready way.”
Bad Boys is Simply the Best Buddy Comedy Franchise
At its heart, the buddy comedy genre is about a playful yet devoted bond between two very different partners who balance each other through rivalry and respect. The genre, which is characterized by dynamic duos, witty banter, and heartwarming camaraderie, is a staple in the industry, and over three decades, no franchise has embodied the formula better than Bad Boys. The franchise takes Smith and Lawrence’s excellent acting chops and combines it with outlandish stunts and snappy dialogue, establishing itself as the archetype for buddy comedy movies since 1995. The subsequent movies gave us more of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s undeniable chemistry and continued to build on a solid foundation.
In a way, Bad Boys tapped into the zeitgeist by updating the buddy cop concept for a new generation. With gritty action scenes and a hip-hop soundtrack, it delivered humor and adrenaline in equal capacity. The breakout success, which can largely be attributed to the cast and characters, caught Hollywood by surprise and proved that there was an appetite for fearless and comedic law enforcement stories. Which is why, even after a 17-year hiatus, Bad Boys for Life found a way to seamlessly follow up the story and stay true to the style of the franchise.
The franchise’s Rotten Tomatoes scores reflect this consistency in quality and appeal, with the original film holding a 42%, Bad Boys II at 24%, and Bad Boys for Life at an impressive 75%. That said, Bad Boys is indisputably the gold standard for buddy comedies, and as Bad Boys: Ride or Die prepares to make its way to Netflix, fans have much to look forward to. The streaming platform will provide the perfect opportunity to escape into a crime-fighting adventure with Mike and Marcus, because whether it’s the first film or the fourth, there is no better duo in Hollywood to spend an action-packed few hours with.