Back in 1969, the term “Bro-mantic” hadn’t been used yet, but that’s when the best bro-mantic buddy film ever was released — Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Starring a young and gorgeous Robert Redford and a ruggedly handsome Paul Newman, it tells the story of two BFF bank robbers on the lam, and it cemented the genre of the buddy film. Over the years there have been so many more, some of them fantastic, some of them flops. Looking for a good bro-mantic movie to rent and watch with your guy? Here’s my list of 8 great bro-mantic buddy movies…
I loved the Sherlock Holmes books when I was a teenager, mostly because of the chemistry between best friends and partners Holmes and Dr. Watson. The movie starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law captured this friendship perfectly, especially Sherlock’s almost manic personality… I loved it!
Best friends and roommates Jesse and Chester wake one morning, hung over and dazed, and gradually piece together what happened to them the night before… and they answer the burning question: Dude, where’s my car?
I doubt there were ever buddies closer than Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp, and this movie tells that story, and the story of the shootout at the O.K. Corral far better than any other version of it. Val Kilmer is a wickedly funny and charming Holliday, and Kurt Russell plays the torn and tormented Earp perfectly.
This film is brilliant, with a plot that twists and turns more than a California mountain highway. It features four best friends as they pursue a money-making scheme that just keeps going wrong. The soundtrack is amazing, and it truly captures what modern guy friendships are all about. The running joke of everyone calling Tom “fat” is so funny!
Jackie and Michael have been close friends since they were boys, living in the same small town. When they discover that someone in their town has won the lottery, they set out to find who… and the resulting plot is so far-fetched but so well acted, it’s hard not to love this movie!
While it might seem that rock star Aldous Snow and lackey Aaron Green have little in common, during this film, they both learn that really, they have a lot to learn from each other — or, at any rate, Aaron has a lot to learn from Snow. This movie is so hilarious, you have to see it!
What happens when two best friends, both utter science nerds, create the perfect woman? The odd threesome obviously get into a couple of scrapes, but what I like about this movie is that it makes nerds kind of cool, and that it’s actually kind of sweet.
Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are best friends and partners, close as can be, but they’re complete polar opposites, even in their choice of pets (cat vs. dog). But they have such believable guy-buddy chemistry, and the plot and action are so fantastic, this is a fun movie to watch!
Which of these bro-mantic guy buddy films do you like best, and why? Or is there one you love I left out? Please let me know… I’ll add it to my NetFlix queue!