Security guards often get a bad rap. Movies typically portray them as clumsy and incompetent, and that’s a ridiculous stereotype. There is a long-running comedy bit (think as far back as Barney Fife from the Andy Griffith show) where the person in charge of safety is a big joke. While this can make for funny on-screen jokes, real security guards aren’t all bumbling idiots. Here are five movies that negatively portray security guards.
- Paul Blart: Mall Cop
This movie stars Kevin James as mall security guard, Paul Blart, a single and middle-aged dad. His dream is to become a New Jersey police officer, but his hypoglycemia causes him to pass out during the entrance exam and subsequently fail. He takes his job as a security guard very seriously and patrols the mall strictly on his segway. A gang of thugs takes over the mall while Paul is playing a game at a nearby arcade, and he wanders back having no idea what has happened. He eventually saves the day but makes a mess of things along the way. The movie mocks his level of dedication and his weight frequently. This stereotype-fueled movie even had a sequel.
- Night at the Museum
This movie follows Larry Daley, a down-on-his-luck single dad who finds a job at the American Museum of Natural History. While working the night shift he discovers that the exhibits come to life at night. He is constantly getting himself into mixed up situations because he doesn't really pay attention. He’s the butt of a lot of the jokes and is constantly outsmarted by a monkey.
- Observe and Report
Seth Rogan plays head of mall security, Ronnie, in this dark comedy. When a flasher starts showing himself to customers and workers at the mall, Ronnie vows to catch the culprit. A detective from the local police force attempts to take over the case, so Ronnie works even harder to solve it himself. Ronnie is constantly flying off the handle and being completely unprofessional. This further gives mall security guards a bad name.
- Tower Heist
This movie follows apartment building security guards after they lose pensions in a Ponzi scheme. They decide to break into the apartment to steal back their money. Ben Stiller, Casey Affleck and Michael Pena play the main characters. These guys are not only breaking the law, but they can’t get along or work together. They definitely don’t portray professional security guards in a great light.
- Ride Along
Kevin Hart stars in this comedy as high school security guard, Ben, who tries to prove himself to his girlfriend’s cop brother, played by Ice Cube. Poor Ben is constantly teased for his small stature, unprofessional nature, and the fact he is a security guard. He eventually proves himself, but the process is pretty hard to watch.
