Film

Metro

Name: Metro
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Released: 1997
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Michael Rapaport, Kim Miyori, Art Evans, Donal Logue

A 1997 action-comedy where Eddie Murphy plays a wisecracking hostage negotiator in San Francisco, forced to partner with a loud civilian after botching a hostage situation. It's earnest about its stakes but lets Murphy riff constantly—sometimes brilliantly, sometimes exhaustingly. For fans of '90s buddy-cop films who don't mind the comedy overwhelming the plot.

TMDb rating

2.9

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy loud, talkative 90s crime thrillers where wisecracks land between gunfire and a hostage negotiator's patter does as much work as the shootouts.

Skip it if you need the comedy to stay sharp, since Murphy's mugging can wear thin over a 117-minute run that leans hard on noise and shouting.

What it asks of you: Nearly two hours of nonstop momentum, with jokes and gunfire arriving close together, so it rewards full attention rather than half-watching.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Beverly Hills Cop1984

The original template: a fast-talking cop out of his element, paired with straight men, solving a crime with personality and luck. Murphy at his absolute peak, and the film earns every laugh without sacrificing real stakes.

But It's so iconic it can feel almost quaint now. If you're expecting action spectacle, you'll find a fairly leisurely '80s detective picture instead.

Lethal Weapon1987

The blueprint for mismatched-partner cop films: brutal action, genuine chemistry, and wild comedy that never stops the story. It actually commits to both registers without apology, and the stunts are spectacular.

But The first film hits harder than the sequels, and it's genuinely violent in ways that might cut against the comedy if you're not in the mood.

The Nice Guys2016

Two comedians playing detectives in '70s LA with a script that's funnier than most comedies and tenser than most thrillers. The banter has weight because both characters are damaged and real.

But It flopped commercially and feels deliberately out of step with modern action rhythms. Some will find it digressive; others will call that the point.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Metro

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Midnight in Paris2011

Both center on protagonists who must negotiate between two versions of their lives—accepting the present rather than clinging to what came before.

A different kind of negotiation: a man stuck between worlds, learning to accept the present by communing with the past. Like Metro, it's about a character's resistance to reality and learning to move forward—but through magic instead of buddy comedy.

But It's romantic and whimsical rather than thrilling. Woody Allen's self-indulgence is on full display, and if you don't buy the premise, you're lost.

48 Hrs.1982

The grandfather of the buddy-cop comedy: Eddie Murphy's first film, paired with Nick Nolte. Raw, funny, and surprisingly touching. Murphy's charisma is still startling here.

But It's rougher and looser than Murphy's later work, which some will read as unfinished, and the '80s action setpieces are brief.

Midnight Run1988

Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin as a bounty hunter and embezzler handcuffed together for a cross-country drive. The comedy is character-driven, the heart is genuine, and it has no interest in action heroics.

But It's talky and contemplative by modern standards, and if you want set pieces and spectacle, you'll be disappointed.

Turner & Hooch1989

Tom Hanks as a fastidious detective paired with a slobbering dog investigating a murder. Genuinely funny, surprisingly sweet, and committed to both the cop procedural and the absurdist premise.

But It's aggressively '80s and plays its fish-out-of-water jokes broadly. The dog is a co-star, which is either the draw or a dealbreaker.

Rush Hour1998

Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker as a Hong Kong cop and LA detective solving a kidnapping. The action is inventive, the chemistry crackles, and it doesn't pretend its plot matters more than the fun.

But Tucker's comedy voice is intentionally grating and never stops. If that register annoys you, the entire film will test your patience.

The Long Kiss Goodnight1996

Geena Davis as an amnesiac government assassin paired with a washed-up private detective. Unexpectedly smart, genuinely violent, and the buddy chemistry survives insanity. Underrated thriller-comedy.

But The plot gets genuinely convoluted, and it takes itself seriously in ways that complicate the comedy. Some find it messy.

Big Trouble in Little China1986

Kurt Russell as a truck driver stumbling into a supernatural crime war in San Francisco's Chinatown. Gloriously weird, John Carpenter directing action with absurdist humor baked into the premise.

But It's deliberately surreal and doesn't explain itself. If you want grounded storytelling, this trades coherence for style.

Who Am I?1998

Both are '90s buddy-cop action-comedies where the humor is physical and the story takes a back seat—but this one is made in Hong Kong, with a completely different visual grammar.

Jackie Chan, amnesia, a mystery about his own identity, and some of the most inventive stunt-comedy ever filmed. It's a foreign-market action film that proves the English-language version isn't always the better one.

But The plot is deliberately confusing and often nonsensical. If clarity matters to you, the film's charms won't compensate.

Raising Arizona1987

Both films are comedies about men who don't fit anywhere trying to find their place through partnership. But this one uses magical realism and the Coen Brothers' visual obsession instead of action and wisecracks.

Two ex-cons try to steal a baby, and the Coen Brothers turn it into a Southwestern fever dream. It's absurdist comedy married to real heartbreak and surprisingly tender about belonging and family—and it uses rhythm and tone the way Metro uses quips.

But It's deliberately strange and refuses to explain itself. The emotional core is buried under surrealism, and the pacing is hypnotic rather than propulsive—some will find it maddening.