48 Hrs.

Hard-edged Los Angeles detective Jack Cates reluctantly teams with a wisecracking parolee, Reggie Hammond, to crack a violent murder case. Cates wants results and control, but Hammond's street smarts and fast wit bring a rough edge to the pursuit. The unlikely duo trail a dangerous killer through a maze of bars, clubs, and back alleys, trading barbs as they bungle and improvise their way toward the truth. The ticking clock adds pressure, and each man tests the other's boundaries, forcing Cates to loosen rigid methods while Hammond learns to channel his nerve into discipline. The partnership becomes a wild, risky ride that could blow up in their faces or finally crack the case.

Directed by Walter Hill, 48 Hrs. was released in 1982. The film stems from an original screenplay by Roger Spottiswoode, Larry Gross and Steven E de Souza, delivering a gritty, character driven take on the buddy cop premise set against a sunbaked urban landscape.

Worldwide box office reached about 78.9 million on a 12 million budget, marking a solid commercial success for an action comedy of its era. The film helped cement Eddie Murphy's breakout status and established Walter Hill's brisk, no nonsense style.

The film helped define the two man buddy cop model, pairing a by the book veteran with a streetwise smart aleck and making the banter a central engine of action. Murphy's lively performance and the reluctant partnership with Nolte set a template later adopted by many 80s and 90s thrillers. Iconic chase sequences and punchy one liners entered the era's pop culture chatter.

Critics praised the chemistry between Nolte and Murphy, balancing rough action with sharp humor while acknowledging the film's brisk pace and urban energy. Some reviews noted tonal shifts between humor and violence, but the pairing consistently hit its mark, exploring themes of trust across lines of law enforcement and the temptation to bend rules for the greater good.