---
title: "Beverly Hills Cop"
year: 1984
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/beverly-hills-cop"
fi1m_id: "beverly-hills-cop"
imdb_id: "tt0086960"
tmdb_id: 90
wikidata_id: "Q722267"
fi1m_score: 55
critics_score: 65
critics_reviews: 9
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:35.720786+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Directed by Martin Brest · 1h 45m · MPA R · Comedy, Crime, Action

## Identity

Beverly Hills Cop

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/beverly-hills-cop
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** beverly-hills-cop
- **IMDb ID:** tt0086960
- **TMDB ID:** 90
- **Wikidata ID:** Q722267
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086960/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/90, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q722267

**Fi1m score: 55** · Critics 65 from 9 reviews

*In a sentence:* Eddie Murphy can talk his way past anyone except the people who keep ordering another chase

> Eddie Murphy’s bluffing brings considerable pleasure to this patchy police comedy. Martin Brest gives him useful company, but Daniel Petrie Jr.’s screenplay keeps sending an appealing comic troublemaker through familiar crime-film business.

## Synopsis

Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is a Detroit police officer on holiday in Beverly Hills. Other officers include Detective Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold), Sergeant Taggart (John Ashton) and Lieutenant Bogomil (Ronny Cox). Being a policeman does not prevent Foley from being chased, thrown through a window and arrested. The cast also includes Lisa Eilbacher as Jenny Summers and Steven Berkoff as Victor Maitland. Martin Brest directs this crime comedy, with a screenplay by Daniel Petrie Jr., placing a visiting policeman in Beverly Hills and following the trouble he gets into.

## Review

*Beverly Hills Cop* has a dependable comic proposition: put Eddie Murphy somewhere he can irritate authority and let him talk. Martin Brest gets enough pleasure from that proposition to make the routine police story frustrating. Murphy is funny enough to keep us watching, but the film around him is only intermittently worth the attention. Daniel Petrie Jr.’s screenplay provides crime, action and a change of city, though a Detroit policeman visiting Beverly Hills suggests more comic possibilities than it pursues.

Murphy’s Axel Foley approaches other people with an assurance that is funny before he has achieved anything. We laughed at his confidence around the police; Murphy makes Foley sound so certain that asking for evidence begins to seem impolite. He seems to enjoy making somebody else decide whether to challenge him, and that enjoyment is infectious. His changes of tone keep the conversations lively even when the police story has become predictable.

Judge Reinhold’s Detective Billy Rosewood and John Ashton’s Sergeant Taggart give that confidence useful resistance. Reinhold is particularly good company, and Brest understands how much a supporting actor can contribute without competing for the next joke. Steven Berkoff also registers sharply as Victor Maitland. These performances keep the film agreeable when the police business becomes mechanical, and we remain interested in who will have to deal with Foley next.

The disappointment is how little Petrie Jr. asks that company to disturb. Sending a Detroit policeman to Beverly Hills offers opportunities to examine money, manners and who is allowed to cause trouble, but the screenplay settles too readily for familiar crime plotting. It does not need to become a lecture on class; it does need more jokes that could only happen here. The balance increasingly favours conventional police drama, and the comic energy drops whenever the plot requires us to take the case seriously.

Bruce Surtees’s cinematography keeps the performers readable without making the action especially involving. Editors Billy Weber and Arthur Coburn are more persuasive with the rhythm of Murphy’s bluffing than with the film’s shifts between comedy and danger. A chase, a broken window and an arrest are perfectly serviceable ingredients for a police comedy. Brest does not consistently find enough humour in the physical trouble to justify interrupting the conversations for it.

Angelo P. Graham’s production design establishes Beverly Hills clearly enough, though the writing gets limited comic use from the setting. Harold Faltermeyer’s music supplies welcome bounce, helping the film through stretches that offer little surprise. Neither contribution makes the police plot more absorbing. In this genre, action can reveal something funny about the people caught up in it, but here too much of it feels included because a police film is expected to have some.

At 105 minutes, the film is not asking for a vast commitment, and Murphy makes considerable stretches easy to enjoy. Yet too much of the pleasure depends on waiting for him to speak again, leaving capable colleagues and an inviting setting underused. Approach it for his bluffing, with modest expectations of what happens between conversations.

*Fi1m score 55, published 15 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics like it, and almost all of the praise goes to Eddie Murphy. The reviews describe his Axel Foley as the film’s whole reason for being: a star bluffing and improvising his way through Beverly Hills while a conventional cop plot ticks along underneath. Martin Brest gets modest credit for staying out of Murphy’s way and for giving supporting players room, with Variety singling out Judge Reinhold and Steven Berkoff.

The reservations cluster on the story. Several reviewers call the plotting conventional, and the two negative notices go further: Roger Ebert argues the film squanders a satirical premise on cop-show clichés and a tired cocaine plot, while Variety finds it turns too dramatic and only half delivers on the comedy. Eye for Film, revisiting it decades on, finds it broad, cheesy and dated. The spread is wide, from warm to dismissive, but even the dissenters agree the problem is the script, not the star.

## Straight answers

**Is Beverly Hills Cop worth watching?**

*Beverly Hills Cop* is worth watching mainly for Eddie Murphy's bluffing, and we scored it 55. Martin Brest gives him good company in Judge Reinhold and John Ashton, but Daniel Petrie Jr.'s screenplay keeps interrupting the conversations with routine police plotting. Approach it for Murphy, with modest expectations of the case he is solving.

**How long is Beverly Hills Cop, and what is it rated?**

*Beverly Hills Cop* runs 1h 45m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a comedy and crime film.

**Where can I watch Beverly Hills Cop in the US?**

*Beverly Hills Cop* is streaming on Pluto TV in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $4.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Beverly Hills Cop, and is it suitable for children?**

*Beverly Hills Cop* carries a UK 15 certificate, so it is not intended for children, and the rating reflects the language and crime-film violence you would expect. The action itself is fairly mild: a chase, a broken window and an arrest rather than anything frightening. Teenagers used to police comedies will find little here to disturb them.

**How does Beverly Hills Cop compare to Midnight Run?**

*Beverly Hills Cop* and [*Midnight Run*](https://film.one/film/midnight-run) are both Martin Brest chase comedies, and the later film is the better of the two. Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin's bickering is warmer and funnier than anything Eddie Murphy is given to play against, and the pursuit is better balanced with the people in it. Choose the earlier film only if Murphy is the draw.

**What should I watch after Beverly Hills Cop?**

After *Beverly Hills Cop*, try [*48 Hrs.*](https://film.one/film/48-hrs) (1982, Fi1m 78): For a rougher police comedy with more friction around its jokes. Then [*Midnight Run*](https://film.one/film/midnight-run) (1988, Fi1m 88): A better balance of pursuit, bickering and people worth spending time with; and [*The Guard*](https://film.one/film/the-guard) (2011, Fi1m 78): Another policeman whose conversational tactics make everyone else’s working day harder.

### Reviews we read (9)

- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Kirk Ellis (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it high-caliber entertainment with a silver-bullet performance from Eddie Murphy under Martin Brest's wry, character-conscious direction. The film's greatest pleasures come from Murphy bluffing his way through situations with reckless abandon. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/beverly-hills-cop-1984-review-952752/)
- **The AV Club**, Tom Breihan (80/100, inferred): The piece presents the film as a major hit that showcased Murphy's singular charisma and cultural impact as a Black movie star. Brest is noted for staying out of Murphy's way as a workmanlike director, allowing the star's improvisations and persona to carry the movie despite conventional plotting. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/eddie-murphy-crashed-through-a-glass-ceiling-of-hollywo-1842802596)
- **Vulture**, David Denby (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a conventional but shrewd commercial comedy that benefits greatly from Eddie Murphy's star-making performance as Axel Foley. Brest is singled out for his leisurely, unslick direction that captures social clashes and gives supporting actors strong moments. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/beverly-hills-cop-1984-movie-review-david-denby.html)
- **Empire**, Ian Nathan (70/100, inferred): The critic finds it shallow and crassly commercial yet calls it blunt-nosed entertainment of rare quality that defined the 1980s. Murphy's casting and energetic performance are singled out as the film's smartest and most engaging element. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/beverly-hills-cop-review/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Chris Cabin (70/100, inferred): The review calls the film a smartly paced action-comedy hybrid and a critical turning point for Murphy in his prime. Brest is praised for balancing Murphy's comedic outbursts with community and danger, though his direction is described as just north of competent. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/beverly-hills-cop/)
- **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (Critic's Pick): Eddie Murphy delivers a winning performance as the shrewdest, hippest underdog navigating Beverly Hills. The film showcases his talents effectively despite a shaky start, with strong supporting turns and a director skilled at placing actors in small roles. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1984/12/05/movies/film-murphy-in-beverly-hills-cop.html)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (40/100, inferred): The film squanders an appealing premise by relying on clichés and action-movie tropes rather than sharp satire. Murphy's talents are underutilized as the story shifts into familiar cop-show territory with a tired cocaine plot and an over-the-top finale. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/beverly-hills-cop-1984)
- **Variety**, Variety Staff (**): The film leans more toward conventional cop drama than comedy riot, with expectations of Murphy upending Beverly Hills only partially realized as it turns increasingly dramatic. Strong assists come from supporting performances, particularly Judge Reinhold and Steven Berkoff. [Read](https://variety.com/1983/film/reviews/beverly-hills-cop-1200426145/)
- **Eye for Film**, Stephen Carty (3/5): The critic finds revisiting the film disappointing compared to nostalgic memory, as it feels broad, predictable, and overly cheesy despite some charm and memorable moments. It remains a reasonably entertaining but dated action-comedy that set a template for the genre. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/beverly-hills-cop-film-review-by-stephen-carty)

## Details

- **Director:** Martin Brest
- **Director:** Martin Brest
- **Screenplay:** Daniel Petrie Jr.
- **Story:** Danilo Bach, Daniel Petrie Jr.
- **Cinematography:** Bruce Surtees
- **Editor:** Arthur Coburn, Billy Weber
- **Music:** Harold Faltermeyer, Keith Forsey
- **Production design:** Angelo P. Graham
- **Costume design:** Tom Bronson
- **Producer:** Jerry Bruckheimer, Don Simpson
- **Cast:** Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley; Judge Reinhold as Det. Billy Rosewood; John Ashton as Sgt. Taggart; Lisa Eilbacher as Jenny Summers; Ronny Cox as Lt. Bogomil; Steven Berkoff as Victor Maitland; James Russo as Mikey Tandino; Jonathan Banks as Zack
- **Runtime:** 1h 45m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 5 December 1984
- **Genres:** Comedy, Crime, Action
- **Also in:** [Golden Globe Best Musical or Comedy winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-comedy.md) (Nominee, 1984)
- **Budget:** $14 million
- **Box office:** $316 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UV-lUZIyQk

## Where to watch in the US

- Pluto TV: free
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $4.99, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-15.*

Also available in: AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, JP, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1985: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *48 Hrs.* (1982), Fi1m 78: For a rougher police comedy with more friction around its jokes. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/48-hrs.md)
- *Midnight Run* (1988), Fi1m 88: A better balance of pursuit, bickering and people worth spending time with. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/midnight-run.md)
- *The Guard* (2011), Fi1m 78: Another policeman whose conversational tactics make everyone else’s working day harder. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-guard.md)
- *Police Story* (1985): For police action in which the physical risk supplies the comedy.
- *The Lavender Hill Mob* (1951), Fi1m 82: A gentler crime comedy, with precise timing and a fondness for schemers. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lavender-hill-mob.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/beverly-hills-cop