Beverly Hills Cop (1984) remains one of Hollywood's freshest fish-out-of-water stories, and over four decades later, Axel Foley's is still a force to be reckoned with. From its 1984 debut right through to Netflix's revival, the franchise has carved its place in action-comedy history. Eddie Murphy's wise‑cracking detective challenged stereotypes and launched an avalanche of buddy cop clones.
While the sequels were a mixed bag of success and failure, the franchise took advantage of the nostalgia trend by releasing Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F in 2024, which earned some of the highest audience approval scores since the original. Since Axel Foley has clearly still got it, here's how to watch all the Beverly Hills Cop movies in order on HBO Max, Prime Video, and more.
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Beverly Hills Cop introduces viewers to street-smart Detroit detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy), who is thrust into the posh world of Beverly Hills to investigate the murder of his childhood friend Mikey (James Russo), who was mixed up with shady underground dealings. Undercover in disguise, Axel decides to investigate. Along the way, he butts heads and bonds with Beverly Hills detectives.
As the first film in the franchise, Beverly Hills Cop is a masterclass in balancing action and comedy. Murphy's timing is impeccable and his quips land alongside legitimately tense sequences. Viewers who lovedDie Hard (1988) or48 Hrs (1982). will appreciate Foley as the archetype of the clever, streetwise outsider. It's a film that proves Murphy could always carry a blockbuster while remaining effortlessly human.
Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
Set two years after the first film, Beverly Hills Cop II begins when a wave of brazen Alphabet Crimes plague the citizens of Beverly Hills. The crime spree, in which each heist is marked by a single letter, turns personal when Axel's old friend, Captain Bogomil (Ronny Cox), gets gunned down during an armored car robbery. After hearing about the incident, Axel returns to California.
The sequel leans more heavily into slapstick while still delivering smart detective work. Fans of buddy-cop dynamics, likeLethal Weapon (1987) or21 Jump Street (2012), will enjoy the rhythm of chaos balanced by camaraderie. Murphy's charisma keeps the film afloat, even when plot feels a little forced, making it enjoyable, if slightly uneven.
Beverly Hills Cop III (1994)
Beverly Hills Cop III sees Axel Foley return to sunny Beverly Hills once more following the murder of Inspector Todd (Gil Hill), his boss in Detroit. The trail leads him to a Beverly Hills theme park called Wonder World, which is doubling as a counterfeiting sanctuary. Reunited with Sergeant Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and newcomer Jon Flint (Hector Elizondo), Axel works to solve the case.
Sadly, the movie was maligned by critics and audiences. After its disastrous box office performance, Murphy described it as the "weakest film in the series." While it lacks the narrative tightness of its predecessors, Beverly Hills Cop III is still a guilty pleasure. Fans who appreciate Murphy's energy or enjoy action-comedy experiments likeMidnight Run (1988) will find moments of charm amid the chaos.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F follows Axel, now seasoned Detroit detective, who is pushed to reconnect with his estranged daughter Jane (Taylour Paige), a hotshot L.A. defense lawyer. When Jane's life is threatened over a cartel-linked murder trial, Axel flips his world upside-down. So teams up with old friends and new allies to protect his daughter.
Although the movie received mixed reviews from critics, it was a hit with viewers and quickly became the most streamed film on Netflix for almost two weeks. The father-daughter angle adds an emotional angle that was not present in the first batch of films. Fans of action-comedies or contemporary buddy-cop films, like21 Bridges (2019), will find this an enjoyable modern update to a classic franchise.
