Beverly Hills Cop 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 movies in the series in order.
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Beverly Hills Cop introduced viewers to street-smart Detroit detective Axel Foley, who is thrust into the posh world of Beverly Hills to investigate the murder of his childhood friend Mikey. He quickly discovers Mikey was mixed up with shady underground dealings tied to a local art gallery and smuggling ring. Undercover in disguise, Axel infiltrates warehouses, tricks gallery owner Victor Maitland, and stages a wild sting that culminates in a warehouse shootout. Along the way, he butts heads and bonds with Beverly Hills detectives Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton). These unlikely allies tear through drug-packed coffee crates, dodge corrupt customs officials, and chase down cartel kingpins in slickly choreographed scenes.
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, gets gunned down during an armored car robbery. After hearing about the incident, Axel returns to California, teaming again with Rosewood and Taggart to solve the case. This time, he clashes with a new police chief determined to shut down the investigation. Still, Axel uncovers a weapons trafficking operation. In a trademark Foley move, he infiltrates a gun club, traces bullets, and ultimately hijacks a cement truck to chase the bad guys. The film was a box office hit despite some mixed reviews from critics.
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, 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 Rosewood (now in special operations) and newcomer Jon Flint, Axel navigates rollercoasters, Ferris wheels, and spooky backstage corridors to rescue park owner Uncle Dave and expose the ringleader. Sadly, the third movie in the franchise was essentially a flop that was maligned by critics and audiences. After its disastrous box office performance, Murphy described it as the "weakest film in the series."
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. He teams up with Billy Rosewood (now a PI), the suspicious but strangely helpful Detective Bobby Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and his old pal Taggart (now BHPD chief) to do a deep dive into corruption. 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.
Where To Watch 'Beverly Hills Cop' Movies Online
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