Summary

• Hot Fuzz is a hilarious and rewatchable tribute to the buddy cop genre, filled with brilliantly written quotes that foreshadow the movie's events.
• The movie is a wild ride with fast-paced humor, funny moments, and unforgettable one-liners that will have audiences laughing out loud.
• The comedic foreshadowing and clever use of dialogue set up brilliant punchlines, making Hot Fuzz a must-watch for fans of Edgar Wright's Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy.

Though fans will debate which is the best movie in Edgar Wright's Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy, several Hot Fuzz quotes make a good case for it taking the title. It’s a common misconception that Edgar Wright’s Hot Fuzz is a parody of the buddy cop genre when it's more of a tribute or homage. It follows all the traditions, as a straight-laced big-city cop moves to a small town and pairs up with a buffoonish local officer to shake things up and take on the unseen criminal underworld. However, it also has a brilliantly written script with quotes that hint at things to come in a way that makes it immediately re-watchable.

As the second entry in the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy, Hot Fuzz remains one of Wright's most fun movies to watch. With fast-paced humor inside the buddy cop genre, the movie is a wild and hilarious ride with funny moments and lines that will have audiences laughing out loud no matter how many times they have seen it. From the recurring jokes to the unforgettable one-liners fans are still repeating years later, there are Hot Fuzz quotes that people still throw out years after the movie's initial release - and quotes that prove that Wright was a master at using dialogue to set up his brilliant punchlines.

Hot Fuzz is currently unavailable to stream, but is available for rental and purchase on multiple platforms including Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+

25 "With Respect, Sir, You Can't Just Make People Disappear."

Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg)

Hot Fuzz opens with a scene where the highly intelligent Nicholas Angel is called into a superior's office and is told he is being "promoted" to a post in the rural countryside. Angel doesn't want to leave London, so he demands to speak to the Chief Inspector (Bill Nighy), who he learns was behind the transfer. Nicholas had been making everyone else "look bad" because he was so "exceptional." Nicholas then said he can't just make people disappear, to which he replied, "Yes I can, I'm the Chief Inspector."

24 "Fascist" / "Hag"

Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) / Joyce Cooper (Billie Whitelaw)

Edgar Wright does a lot of comical foreshadowing in Hot Fuzz. When Nicholas Angel first arrives in Sandford, he goes to check into the hotel where he will stay as his house is completed. He meets the innkeeper, Joyce Cooper (Billie Whitelaw). After a quick Shining joke ("but you've always been here") they have a moment where Joyce says "Fascist." Angel is offended until he realizes it is a crossword puzzle answer. He then says "hag," and after she shows offense, he tells her it is also in the crossword. During the explosive climax, they finally use the words again, this time as weapons.

Joyce Cooper: Fascist!

Nicholas Angel: I beg your pardon?

Joyce Cooper: [doing a crossword puzzle] System of government categorized by extreme dictatorship. Seven across.

Nicholas Angel: Oh, I see. It's "fascism."

Joyce Cooper: "Fascism"! Wonderful. Now, we've put you in the Castle Suite. Bernard will escort you over there.

Nicholas Angel: Well, actually, I can probably make my own way up. Hag!

Joyce Cooper: I beg your pardon?

Nicholas Angel: Evil old woman, considered frightful or ugly, 12 down.

Joyce Cooper: [thinks about it] Oh... bless you!

23 "I'm A slasher! I Must Be Stopped!"

Simon Skinner (Timothy Dalton)

At least one of the Hot Fuzz killers admits to his crimes early in the movie. When Nicholas Angel is jogging on his first morning in Sandford, everyone is greeting him as "sergeant." However, one person is a lot more aggressive in his greeting. Supermarket owner Simon Skinner (Timothy Dalton) is also out jogging and runs up on Angel and greets him with the statement, "Lock me up." While Angel seems confused, Skinner admits he is a "slasher ... or prices." He then says "My discounts are criminal. Catch me later," which is exactly what Angel did when Skinner turned out to be one of the killers.

22 "Have You Ever Fired Two Guns Whilst Jumping Through The Air?"

Danny Butterman (Nick Frost)

Before the pair become friends, Danny (Nick Frost) asks if Angel has ever fired two guns while jumping through the air, one gun while jumping through the air, or fired a gun while in a high-speed pursuit. Angel reprimanded Danny for his childish view of policing, but the dialogue was more hilarious foreshadowing. In the final shoot-out, Danny and Angel pull off all three, with Danny even firing his gun in a car while yelling "bang bang". Danny's dreams of "real police work" came true for him in the end of Hot Fuzz — every single one of them.

21 "Hey, Why Can't We Say 'Accident,' Again?"

Danny Butterman (Nick Frost)

Early in Hot Fuzz, Nicholas Angel always feels Danny is never listening to his lectures, but this Hot Fuzz quote proves he couldn't be more wrong. At the scene of the first murder, which was staged to look like a traffic accident, Danny calls it an accident, but Nicholas corrects him and says it is a "traffic collision." When Danny asks why they can't say accident, Nicholas says that implies there is no one to blame. What really made this strike home was later when Nicholas asks Danny how his mom died, and he answers, "Traffic collision." His mother took her own life in what his dad called an "accident."

20 "Everyone And Their Moms Is Packing Round Here."

Detective Cartwright (Rafe Spall)

When Nicholas Angel finds himself in the rural town of Sandford, he initially takes it for a quiet place where nothing exciting happens. However, he is soon alarmed by the abundance of firearms in the town. When Angel expresses his concern over a local having an arsenal of weapons, the other offices ensure him everyone "and their moms" have guns, like farmers. When Nicholas asks who else might have guns, Andy Cartwright replies, "Farmer's moms." It is a simple punchline that sneaks up on the audience, and a reminder for Angel that he's no longer in London.

DS Andy Wainwright: You do know there are more guns in the country than there are in the city.

DS Andy Cartwright: Everyone and their mums is packin' round here!

Nicholas Angel: Like who?

DS Andy Wainwright: Farmers.

Nicholas Angel: Who else?

DS Andy Cartwright: Farmers' mums.

19 "Did You Say 'Cool Off'?"

Danny Butterman (Nick Frost)

It's quite brilliant how Nicholas spends the whole movie telling Danny how unrealistic action movies are only for the climax of Hot Fuzz to become a cliché-filled action sequence. There is a lot of fun meta-humor throughout this third act, especially as Danny has fun being in the middle of a genuine action movie. After Nicholas knocks Michael into the icebox, Danny shares his disappointment that Nicholas missed his opportunity to deliver a classic cheesy action movie one-liner. The fact that this conversation is happening in the middle of an action sequence adds to the absurdity.

18 "He's Not Judge Judy And Executioner!"

Danny Butterman (Nick Frost)

Danny Butterman isn't the brightest cop around. He is a bit like a grown child, especially in the way he is treated by his father. This causes issues as Danny is unable to accept when his father is revealed to be the murderous villain of the movie. The argument between Nicholas and Danny is genuinely intense as Nicholas begs for Danny's help and Danny attempts to defend his father. But when Nicholas suggests Danny's father has made himself judge, jury, and executioner, Danny fires back, "He's not Judge Judy and executioner!", referencing the live courtroom TV show Judge Judy.

Danny Butterman: Ta-daaa!

Nicholas Angel: Danny, this is murder.

Danny Butterman: It's not murder, it's ketchup.

Nicholas Angel: It's Frank! He's appointed himself Judge, Jury and Executioner.

Danny Butterman: [agitated and defensive] He's not Judge Judy, an Executioner.

17 "You've Got A Moustache."

Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg)

Those who know Paddy Considine from House of the Dragon might be surprised by his hilarious scene-stealing performance in Hot Fuzz. Considine plays Andy Wainwright, one of the two mustachioed detectives who don't give Nicholas a warm welcome when he arrives in Sandford. Even Nicholas' attempts to be helpful are met with hostility from the dim Wainwright. When at the pub together, Wainwright takes a sip of beer, leaving foam all over his mustache. When Nicholas points out, "You have a mustache," Wainwright defiantly responds, "I know." It is hard not to laugh at the stupidity of it all.

16 "Yarp."

Michael (Rory McCann)

Before starring as The Hound on Game of Thrones, Rory McCann had a hilarious supporting role in Hot Fuzz as Michael, the unintelligent trolly boy at the local supermarket. Though he is an imposing figure, Michael is only able to say "Yarp" which seems to be his word for "Yes." It puts Michael alongside the likes of Groot and Hodor as characters who are memorable despite their limited vocabulary. After Nicholas manages to subdue Michael in a fight, he attempts to impersonate him on the phone with Skinner. But when Skinner asks if Nicholas will be coming back, he takes a risk and answers "Narp?" which surprisingly works.

15 "You Ain't Seen Bad Boys II?"

Danny Butterman (Nick Frost)

As proof of Edgar Wright's genuine love of the genre, Hot Fuzz is filled with action movie references with none more represented than Michael Bay's wild sequel Bad Boys II. When Danny is first bombarding Nicholas with questions, he asks him about various classic action movies, and he’s stunned to discover that Nicholas hasn’t seen them. When he says he’s never seen Bad Boys II, Danny stops in his tracks and says, “You ain’t seen Bad Boys II?” Bad Boys II represents the height of Bay's uniquely bombastic cinematic style, but it is hilarious to see Danny acting like it is an unmissable movie.

14 "We've Got...Red, Or...White."

Roy Porter (Peter Wight)

While there are some darker underlinings to Sandford that Nicholas finds, the movie also makes a point of showing that the big city cop is not giving the small town charm its due. To be fair, it does take him a little while to realize things are not the same as the city. After endless insistence from Danny, Nicholas finally joins him at the pub for a drink. He asks for a wine list, and the bartender tells him they have “...red, or...white.” Nicholas eventually decides to follow in Danny’s footsteps and orders a pint. It is a small moment that leads to Nicholas finally unwinding a bit.

13 "The Greater Good!"

Various Characters

Though Hot Fuzz is a great cop movie, Edgar Wright also borrows from creepy movies like The Wicker Man with the council of Sandford's "neighborhood watch." This line is uttered a couple of dozen times in the space of a few minutes when Angel first confronts the neighborhood watch. It’s how they justify killing people in order to maintain the rustic aesthetic of their village. Whenever one of them uses the phrase “the greater good” in a sentence, they all repeat it in tandem: “The greater good!” Eventually, Angel is so annoyed at hearing the phrase repeated over and over again that he tells them all to shut up.

12 "Morning, Sergeant!"

Various Characters

Hot Fuzz gets a lot of comedic mileage out of Nicholas moving away from the hectic hustle and bustle of the big city to the more close-knit community of a small village. In a village, everybody knows each other. When Nicholas goes out for his morning jog on his first day on the job, before he’s even really met anyone, everyone he passes on the street says, “Morning, Sergeant.” It is a fun thing that catches him off guard but also plays into the creepy feel of Sandford that seems to be hiding just under the surface.

11 "How's The Hand?"

Various Characters

At the beginning of Hot Fuzz, Nicholas Angel is introduced as the most effective, efficient, and ruthless cop in London. He's so good at his job that he’s making everyone else look bad, so the top brass, which consists of some fun Hot Fuzz cameos, decides to relocate him to a village in the middle of nowhere. Angel keeps taking the decision further up the chain, determined to fight it, and every superior who greets him asks about the stab wound in his hand. It is Wright's signature style of comedy to have the same line repeated over and over, becoming funnier each time Nicholas is asked the same question.

10 "What’s The Matter, Danny? Never Taken A Shortcut Before?"

Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg)

The Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy movies are connected by a recurring cast of actors and scenes in which characters try and fail to jump over a fence. In Shaun of the Dead, the title character smugly says, "What’s the matter, David? Never taken a shortcut before?" and then hops a fence that falls over while he’s still mid-air. In Hot Fuzz, this is called back to when Nicholas and Danny are in pursuit of a thief. Nicholas says, "What's the matter, Danny? Never taken a shortcut before?" and clears every fence before doing a somersault over the last one, with the moment punctuated by Danny hilariously failing to follow.

9 "It's All Right, Andy! It's Just Bolognese!"

Andy Wainwright (Paddy Considine)

Many great buddy cop movies has the rival pair of cops who are irritatingly one-note, but in many comedy movies have been parodied hilariously. This is done in Hot Fuzz by Paddy Considine and Rafe Spall play, "the Andys" two mustachioed cops who give Nicholas and Danny a hard time. Andy Wainwright is spattered with pasta sauce during the supermarket shootout, making it look like he'd been shot in the face, spurring Andy Cartwright to fly into a vengeful rage. It is a moment of their shared companionship that makes it seem like a spin-off with the Andys is a missed opportunity.

8 "Nothin' Like A Bit Of Girl-On-Girl!"

Doris Thatcher (Olivia Colman)

Oscar-winner Olivia Colman is one of the most acclaimed actors currently working. However, she started her career regularly giving hilarious performances in British comedies. These included Hot Fuzz, in which she played Doris Thatcher, a female constable known for her crude double entendres. The best example of this is in the climactic action sequence, after Doris knocks out a supermarket employee with a ‘Wet Floor’ sign, when she says, "Nothin' like a bit of girl-on-girl!" Seeing the gang of heroes all burst out into laughter at such a silly joke in the midst of a deadly battle shows Hot Fuzz's wonderful ridiculousness.

7 "Have You Ever Fired Your Gun Up In The Air And Gone, 'Aaargh!'?"

Danny Butterman (Nick Frost)

​​​​​​​Perhaps one of the best aspects of Hot Fuzz's legacy is that it helped remind people that Point Break is one of the great action movies of the '90s. Along with Bad Boys II, Point Break is one of the movies that Danny insists Nicholas must watch, and it also plays into the story later on with some wonderful homages. Danny is particularly impressed with the moment Keanu Reeves fires his gun in the air while screaming when he cannot bring himself to shoot Patrick Swayze which he wonders if supercop Nicholas Angel ever did. Making the moment even better, Danny himself gets to recreate this moment later in the movie.

6 "Every Year."

Underage Drinker #1 (Tom Strode Walton)

This is one of a few back-and-forths that Nicholas has with the underage drinkers in the pub near the beginning of the movie. The owners are furious with him, but the way Nicholas sees it, the law is very black-and-white. Most of the kids that he asks about their age cower in fear of the cop, but one confident underage drinker provides one of the movie's best exchanges. When asked when his birthday is, the young man tells him February 22. When Nicholas asks what year, the kid replies with a snark "Every year." Edgar Wright is acutely attuned to the rhythm of comedy in film, and his quick cuts in this scene exemplify that perfectly.