Top 10 best Denzel Washington movies
20th Century StudiosTo celebrate Denzel Washington’s 69th birthday and The Equalizer 3 topping the Netflix chart, these are the star’s 10 best movies.
Is Denzel Washington the greatest living actor on the planet? No matter what performance he turns in, regardless of the Oscar-bound epic or glorious B-movie, he makes a convincing argument.
His first role dates back to 1981’s Carbon Copy, and more than 40 years later, he’s one of the most beloved stars we have – and yet, there’s a bizarre sense that he’s still a little underrated. Revered, yes, but not wholly appreciated – his craft, immense range, and audience-rewarding choice of roles have made him a formidable and highly watchable titan of the industry.
So, with Washington bidding adieu to Robert McCall in The Equalizer 3, we’ve taken on the near-impossible task of whittling down his entire career into the greatest hits.
The 10 best Denzel Washington movies
Below, we’ve ranked the 10 best movies in Denzel Washington’s filmography and where you watch or stream them.
As we’ve noted, this was tough, so to appease the inevitable cries of those whose favorites haven’t been served by our list, here’s some honorable mentions: Devil in a Blue Dress, Much Ado About Nothing, Glory, Philadelphia, Deja Vu, Flight, Remember the Titans, and Fallen.
10. Ricochet
Warner Bros.What it’s about: Eight years after a rookie cop put away a psychotic hitman, he escapes prison and seeks vengeance on the police officer, now a successful Assistant District Attorney combating drugs in Los Angeles.
What we think: A forgotten, nasty pearl of the ’90s, Ricochet boasts a star-making, steaming-hot turn from Denzel Washington in his first major action role. It may come from the same Silver-led church as 48 Hrs and Lethal Weapon, but this is darker, grimmer, and messier – dig it out.
Where to stream: Cinemax and Tubi
9. The Equalizer
Sony PicturesWhat it’s about: Robert McCall is a retired government agent working in a Boston hardware store. When he befriends a teenage sex worker, he reluctantly intervenes in the Russian mob’s trafficking ring and unwittingly pits himself against its brutal enforcer.
What we think: Washington’s greatest hits bottled into a B-movie masterpiece, The Equalizer has it all: clap-rattling beatdowns, the actor on his most ruthless, disarming form, and juice that rivals the star’s work with Tony Scott.
Where to stream: Starz and on-demand
8. He Got Game
DisneyWhat it’s about: A man imprisoned for accidentally killing his wife is granted a chance of early release – he just needs to convince his son to play basketball for the Governor’s alma mater.
What we think: Washington doesn’t have two sides: he’s a polyhedral star, and He Got Game is a showcase for the more delicate aspects of his craft, not to mention it being a superb, thought-provoking drama, and one of Spike Lee’s best.
Where to stream: Paramount+
7. Mississippi Masala
The Samuel Goldwyn CompanyWhat it’s about: After being ousted from Uganda, Mina and her family settle in Mississippi, where she falls in love with a local carpet cleaner – but their romance presents challenges, prejudices, and exposes the rifts between the area’s communities.
What we think: A modestly produced, no-less big-hearted twist on the Romeo and Juliet fable, with sizzling chemistry between Washington and Sarita Choudhury that’ll make you swoon and sweat.
Where to stream: The Criterion Channel
6. Inside Man
Universal PicturesWhat it’s about: An audacious Wall Street bank robbery turns into a hostage crisis, placing the heist’s mastermind at odds with not only the NYPD’s negotiator, but a fixer enlisted by the bank’s founder.
What we think: A taut, supremely entertaining genre picture that operates outside and far beyond the margins of its usual trappings thanks to Spike Lee; Inside Man thrums with the energy of a master.
Where to stream: Starz and on-demand
5. Unstoppable
20th Century StudiosWhat it’s about: A runaway train in Pennsylvania is a deadly disaster waiting to derail, and there’s only two people who can stop it: a veteran engineer and rookie conductor.
What we think: God bless Tony Scott. Nobody made movies like him; this is the most shrug-worthy premise, but it’s somehow one of the most exhilarating action thrillers of the 2010s.
Where to stream: On-demand
4. Training Day
Warner Bros.What it’s about: Before an LAPD cop gets a promotion, he needs to go through one last gauntlet: a ride-along with a notorious, decorated narcotics detective.
What we think: A strong candidate for the police drama of the century, with Washington in his first towering turn as a villain, a role that gave him more than an Oscar – it made him a legend, then, now, and always.
Where to stream: Netflix
3. Crimson Tide
DisneyWhat it’s about: With nuclear tensions at their worst since the Cuban Missile Crisis, the U.S.S. Alabama awaits orders to launch an attack on Russia. When an unverifiable command comes in, the sub’s captain wants to fire, but his deputy wants to confirm it.
What we think: It’s not that they don’t make movies like this anymore, it’s that they don’t make movies like this; this kind of high-intensity, talky, close-quarters drama wouldn’t occupy the big screen anymore, nor would it look or be performed with as much gravitas as this one.
Where to stream: On-demand
2. Malcolm X
Warner Bros.What it’s about: Based on the Civil Rights leader’s autobiography, Malcolm X chronicles the life of the activist all the way from childhood to his infamous assassination.
What we think: A sprawling epic that paints the definitive portrait of one of America’s most iconic figure, with Washington’s most extraordinary performance anchoring the apex of Spike Lee’s career.
Where to stream: Paramount+
1. Man on Fire
20th Century StudiosWhat it’s about: A former CIA officer is hired by a wealthy family in Mexico to protect their daughter, Pita, amid a spate of brutal kidnappings. While briefly overcoming his own demons, she’s taken – putting Creasy on a bloody collision course with the gang responsible.
What we think: Man on Fire is violent. It is over-the-top. It’s wildly shot with hand-cranked cameras, berserk editing, and the spirit of a ’70s revenge movie. It’s also incredibly emotional and exhilaratingly entertaining, breezing by over the course of its two-and-a-half-hour runtime. If nothing else, Washington sticks a bomb up a man’s butt – now that’s cinema.
Where to stream: Max and on-demand
The Equalizer 3 is on Netflix now. Check out the rest of our coverage below:
- The Equalizer 3 review
- The Equalizer 3 cast and characters
- The Equalizer 3 ending explained
- The Equalizer 4: Everything we know
- Top 10 best Denzel Washington movies
- The Equalizer 3 Rotten Tomatoes score
- Fans want John Wick vs The Equalizer
Most of these movies can also be bought or rent digitally via Amazon Prime, which you can sign up for here.
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