Over the past several decades, Denzel Washington has been one of Hollywood's most celebrated stars. As an actor, he's been nominated for 8 Academy Awards throughout his career and won twice. More than just a celebrity, Washington is universally respected for his commitment to the craft.
Though he's worked in numerous genres over the years, he seems particularly drawn to suspenseful crime thrillers. He's starred in many great crime movies, playing characters on both sides of the law with equal credibility. His dramatic abilities lend themselves to the intensity of these films, making it no wonder why he continues to be cast in them.
The Little Things
Released in January 2021 on HBO Max, The Little Things is Washington's most recent release. It's a neo-noir thriller set in Los Angeles, where Washington's Joe "Deke" Deacon is tasked with hunting down a serial killer. The film received mixed reviews, as plot-wise it's thought to be quite underwhelming.
The film nonetheless scored style points with audiences, mainly due to its great ensemble cast which includes Oscar winners Remi Malek and Jared Leto.
Ricochet
Denzel Washington won his first Oscar in 1990 for his supporting performance in Glory. He then starred in several films over the next few years, including 1991's Ricochet, an underrated thriller in which Washington plays a successful district attorney and a former police officer. His happy family life is threatened when a hitman played by John Lithgow escapes from prison and seeks revenge against Washington's character for locking him up years ago.
This was one of Washington's first lead performances, and one of Lithgow's many outstanding supporting performances. Thirty years after its release, it's still worth seeking out.
2 Guns
2013's 2 Guns is a fast-paced action flick about two undercover agents who infiltrate a drug cartel in order to recover an illicit fortune. The problem is that neither of them knows that the other is undercover, as both men are from different divisions of a narcotics syndicate. Washington plays DEA agent Bobby Trench, alongside Mark Wahlberg's Navy Officer Marcus Stigman.
Though graphically violent in parts, 2 Guns is considered one of the lighter, more comic crime capers in Washington's filmography.
American Gangster
Washington teamed up with frequent collaborators Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott for 2007's American Gangster, in which Washington plays the infamous Harlem crime kingpin, Frank Lucas. Washington's performance earned widespread acclaim, as did the film as a whole.
It was released in a particularly strong year when No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood dominated the Oscar race, and so it didn't perform as well on the awards circuit as it might have had it been released in a different year. Nonetheless, it's a quality film that remains popular with audiences to this day.
Man On Fire
Ridley Scott's late brother Tony Scott directed this intense 2004 action thriller which stars Denzel as an ex-CIA agent hired as a bodyguard to protect a 9-year old girl. When she is kidnapped, he sets out on a dangerous rescue mission to retrieve her and exact revenge on those who took her.
Man on Fire was shunned by critics for its uneven pacing and ultra-violent second half, but audiences loved it for its suspense and shock value. This explains its 38% critics rating but 89% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Taking Of Pelham 123
Washington reunited with Tony Scott for this high octane remake of the 1974 film by the same name. Washington plays the role of Lt. Garber, originated by Walter Matthau in the original film. He must use his expertise and knowledge of the subway system to thwart a criminal mastermind named Ryder, played by John Travolta, who has taken an entire train hostage.
This is perhaps a more forgettable entry in Washington's body of crime movie work, but Scott's kinetic direction makes it an exhilarating experience while it lasts.
Training Day
Washington took home his second career Oscar for his brilliant performance in Training Day, a superbly executed crime drama His character, Alonzo, is tasked with mentoring a young cop named Jake on his first day as a narcotics officer. As the "training day" progresses, Jake slowly realizes that Alonzo isn't who he seems to be, as his sinister motives slowly become apparent over the course of the film.
Washington is mostly known for playing noble and heroic characters, and this was especially true in the '90s, making his against-type performance in this film all the more impressive, and, yes, Oscar-worthy.
Out Of Time
2003's Out of Time is a mystery thriller about a Florida cop who must solve a double homicide before he is arrested as the prime suspect. The tag line, "How do you solve a murder when all the evidence point to you?" is sure to remind moviegoers of The Fugitive, the classic Harrison Ford vehicle from 1993.
And while it could certainly be said that Out of Time is derivative of that film and others, it can also be said that the reason this premise is used so often is that it makes for good popcorn entertainment. Out of Time isn't much more than that, but it's no less either.
The Equalizer
Acclaimed filmmaker Antoine Fuqua directed Denzel Washington to a Best Actor Oscar in Training Day, and so it made sense for the dup to collaborate again for 2014's The Equalizer. Denzel stars as a mysterious man named Robert McCall who takes it upon himself to avenge the brutal abuse of a young girl at the hand of Russian mobsters.
This would-be run-of-the-mill action caper is elevated by Fuqua's direction and Washington's lead performance, and was a massive global box office hit, grossing nearly $200 million. Its success spawned a sequel four years later, also directed by Fuqua, and equally well received.
Inside Man
Denzel Washington and Spike Lee have collaborated several times over the course of their careers. 2006's Inside Man stars Denzel Washington as a detective who must foil the plans of an ingenious bank robber and rescue those that he's taken hostage.
It's a true crowd-pleaser from beginning to end, which explains why it's the highest-grossing Spike Lee joint ever released. It turns 15 years old in 2021, but it's still as popular as ever with genre fans and general audiences alike.