How do you define Denzel Washington? An acting emperor? A gifted director? A charismatic titan of the big screen? Or, maybe all of these? Certainly, describing an actor whose versatility is unparalleled is not easy. One can sense it in the reaction to the first-look images of Gladiator II, which is among the most highly anticipated movies of 2024, and Denzel Washington plays an influential ancient Roman figure in the film. There are already murmurs of him getting acting nods at major awards in 2025.
Gladiator II is the latest in a long list of notable movies that Washington has been part of in the four decades of his career. Of course, it is expected that he will deliver another masterclass in performance. After all, he is a 10-time Academy Award nominee, with two wins in acting categories. He is one of only eight actors to have received an Oscar nomination for acting in five different decades. The nods (and the wins) are testimony to the fact that he is unmatched in his range, depth, charisma and, above all, consistency.
Washington has been garnering critical praise from early on in his career. Many of his films underline the struggles of African Americans and highlight the discrimination they face in society. Glory (1989), Malcolm X (1992) and Philadelphia (1993) are some of his most defining earlier films. Each serves as a magnificent exhibition of his ability to convey the dignity and resilience in the face of oppression of the characters he plays. Remember the Titans (2000), The Great Debaters (2007) and Fences (2016) are some of his films from the last two decades, drawing attention to stories of the never-ending struggles of African Americans in the US as well as their indomitable will, courage and remarkable persistence.
But drama is not the only genre where Washington has excelled. His portrayal of a rogue cop in Training Day (2001) is one of his best. Then there are movies such as Crimson Tide (1995), American Gangster (2007) and The Equalizer (2014) film series — covering everything from military thriller to gun-toting action. Every film that Denzel Washington did in his distinguished career strengthened his reputation as one of the greatest actors in the history of cinema.
But, frankly put, Washington’s calibre as an actor cannot be measured with awards or box office success. He is far above any conventional yardstick by which one might ‘attempt’ to define performance. He has redefined what it means to be a true actor. With Gladiator II, Washington will certainly deliver something unprecedented and take his legacy forward. And once the dust settles in the gladiatorial arena on the screen, his fans and cinema aficionados will eagerly look forward to the upcoming American crime thriller High and Low — a remake of the universally acclaimed 1963 Japanese thriller film of the same name by Akira Kurosawa.
Will Washington secure two more Oscar nods with Gladiator II and High and Low? Only time will tell. Until then, there are enough Denzel Washington movies to catch up with before Gladiator II releases on 15 November 2024.
Note: The movies on this list are rated at least 7.0 on IMDb and 70 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes (RT).
The best Denzel Washington movies to watch right now
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Directed by: Joel Coen
Other cast members: Frances McDormand, Bertie Carvel, Alex Hassell, Corey Hawkins, Harry Melling, Kathryn Hunter, Brendan Gleeson
Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.1
RT rating: 92 per cent
Synopsis: Based on a Shakespeare play of the same name, Macbeth follows the titular Scottish lord (Washington) who is convinced by three witches that he will become the next King of Scotland. His ambitions ignited, Macbeth turns to a path that leads to his rise and eventual fall.
About the film: For his incredible performance, Washington was nominated for the Academy Award, Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor.
Fences (2016)
Directed by: Denzel Washington
Other cast members: Viola Davis, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson, Saniyya Sidney
Runtime: 2 hours 19 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.2
RT rating: 92 per cent
About the film: Set in the 1950s Pittsburgh, Ohio, the US, it revolves around a working-class African-American family. Troy Maxson (Washington) and his wife Rose (Davis, in an Oscar-winning role) have a teenage son, Cory (Adepo). Troy, who wanted to become a baseball player, carries bitterness in him because he missed the opportunity due to racial discrimination in the US. That bitterness creates tensions in his family as he thwarts Cory’s chances of becoming a college football player.
About the film: The critically acclaimed Fences, which is based on August Wilson’s 1985 play of the same name, is the third film directed by Washington.
Also read: 6 upcoming sports documentaries you should to your watch list right away
Flight (2012)
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Other cast members: Don Cheadle, Kelly Reilly, John Goodman, Bruce Greenwood, Melissa Leo
Runtime: 2 hours 18 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.3
RT rating: 77 per cent
Synopsis: Pilot Whip Whitaker (Washington) manages to rescue his malfunctioned commercial plane from a certain mid-air crash, saving most of the passengers on board. But the investigation into the incident brings to the fore his addiction problems and makes matters worse for Whip.
About the film: Flight was extremely well-received upon release, earning over USD 160 million on a production budget of around USD 31 million.
Antwone Fisher (2002)
Directed by: Denzel Washington
Other cast members: Derek Luke, Joy Bryant
Runtime: 2 hours
IMDb rating: 7.3
RT rating: 78 per cent
Synopsis: Washington made his film directorial debut with this biography about American screenwriter, director and author Antwone Fisher. Based on Fisher’s autobiographical book Finding Fish, the film tells the story of how a naval psychiatrist, Lt. Cmdr. Dr. Jerome Davenport (Washington), helps a young navy man Antwone (Luke), who is prone to violent outbursts, come to terms with his painful past.
Crimson Tide (1995)
Directed by: Tony Scott
Other cast members: Gene Hackman, George Dzundza, Viggo Mortensen, James Gandolfini
Runtime: 1 hour 56 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.3
RT rating: 89 per cent
Synopsis: Widely hailed as one of the best submarine action thrillers, Crimson Tide underlines a particular time in modern US military history when a critical decision-making right could have resulted in the annihilation of the world. Captain Franklin “Frank” Ramsey (Hackman), the Commanding Officer (CO) of the nuclear-armed USS Alabama, believes he has orders to fire a pre-emptive nuke at Russia after a civil war breaks out in the country. But his Executive Officer (XO), Lieutenant Commander Ronald “Ron” Hunter (Washington), disagrees on the ground that the orders are incomplete. When the trigger-happy Frank refuses to back down, Ron leads a mutiny.
Directed by: Denzel Washington
Other cast members: Forest Whitaker, Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett, Denzel Whitaker, John Heard, Kimberly Elise
Runtime: 2 hours 6 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.5
RT rating: 80 per cent
Synopsis: The Great Debaters is a masterpiece which proves that Washington is as brilliant as a filmmaker as he is as an actor. The film is based on a 1997 article for American Legacy by Tony Scherman and is about the real-life poet and professor Melvin B. Tolson who taught at the predominantly black Wiley College in 1935 Texas. In the movie, Tolson (Washington) inspires his students to form a debate team — the school’s first. While facing brutal racial discrimination, the debate team goes on to challenge Harvard University in the national championship.
Inside Man (2006)
Directed by: Spike Lee
Other cast members: Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, Willem Dafoe, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Runtime: 2 hours 9 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.6
RT rating: 86 per cent
Synopsis: In this brilliantly executed crime thriller, Detective Keith Frazier (Washington) must rescue a group of hostages during a bank heist orchestrated by a wily robber named Dalton Russell (Owen). While they are playing a game of wits, Madaline (Foster), a mysterious fixer, gets involved on behalf of the bank’s founder Arthur Case (Plummer), who has a hidden objective.
Training Day (2001)
Directed by: Antoine Fuqua
Other cast members: Ethan Hawke, Scott Glenn, Cliff Curtis, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg
Runtime: 2 hours 2 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.7
RT rating: 74 per cent
Synopsis: A young and upright Jake Hoyt (Hawke) is under a one-day evaluation of decorated LAPD narcotics officer Alonzo Harris (Washington). Over 24 hours, Jake discovers that Alonzo is a corrupt cop who can go to any length to survive in gang-ridden and drug-infested neighbourhoods of LA.
Award won: Washington’s performance earned him an Oscar for Best Actor, which was the second Academy Award of his career.
About the film: This was Washington’s first film with Fuqua, who is now directing a biopic on Michael Jackson.
Philadelphia (1993)
Directed by: Jonathan Demme
Other cast members: Tom Hanks, Jason Robards, Mary Steenburgen, Antonio Banderas
Runtime: 2 hours 5 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.7
RT rating: 81 per cent
Synopsis: Set in the city after which it is named, the legal drama revolves around lawyer Andrew Beckett (Hanks, who won the Oscar for Best Actor). Andrew is fired from a top law firm because he is HIV positive. When no one is willing to take up his case, Andrew hires a homophobic personal injury attorney Joe Miller (Washington) to represent him in a wrongful dismissal suit against his former employer. Over the course of the trial, Joe begins to understand Andrew and the discrimination people with HIV face in society.
About the film: Philadelphia is the third-highest-grossing film in Washington’s career.
Malcolm X (1992)
Directed by: Spike Lee
Other cast members: Angela Bassett, Albert Hall, Al Freeman Jr., Delroy Lindo
Runtime: 3 hours 22 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.7
RT rating: 88 per cent
Synopsis: Malcolm Little, better known as Malcolm X, was one of the most influential Black Nationalist leaders of 20th century America. This biographical film partly dramatises portions of Malcolm’s (Washington) life, including his incarceration and his conversion to Islam. It traces his life from his early days to his assassination in 1965.
Read more: 10 of the best biopics on Netflix that are worth watching
Remember the Titans (2000)
Directed by: Boaz Yakin
Other cast members: Will Patton, Donald Faison, Nicole Ari Parker
Runtime: 1 hour 53 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.8
RT rating: 71 per cent
Synopsis: In this biographical sports drama, coach Herman Boone (Washington) is tasked with leading a newly integrated football team of T. C. Williams High School (now Alexandria City High School) in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1971. Though racial tensions exist between the players, Boone finds support from the experienced fellow coach Bill Yoast (Patton). Together, they take the school to glory.
American Gangster (2007)
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Other cast members: Russell Crowe, Ted Levine, John Ortiz, Josh Brolin, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ruby Dee, Lymari Nadal, Cuba Gooding Jr.
Runtime: 2 hours 37 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.8
RT rating: 81 per cent
Synopsis: The biographical crime drama is loosely based on the life of drug lord Frank Lucas. Set in the late 1960s, the film depicts the rise of Lucas (Washington) in the criminal underground of Newark and how an intrepid detective Richie Roberts (Crowe) brings him down along with all the corrupt officials of the city.
About the film: American Gangster is the highest-grossing film in Washington’s career, earning around USD 268 million on a budget of around USD 100 million.
Glory (1989)
Directed by: Edward Zwick
Other cast members: Matthew Broderick, Cary Elwes, Morgan Freeman
Runtime: 2 hours 2 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.8
RT rating: 95 per cent
Synopsis: Set during the American Civil War, Trip (Washington), an escaped slave, assists Col. Robert Gould Shaw (Broderick) who is the commander of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the first all-African-American regiment of the Union Army. He works tirelessly to make his unit a reliable fighting force. But their desire for glory in battle is met with prejudices from even the higher-ups in their own army, who force the unit to do menial tasks.
Award won: Glory earned Washington his first Oscar (for Best Supporting Actor).
(Hero image credit: David Lee – © MMXVI Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved./ IMDb; Featured image credit: Cuba Scott/Cuba Scott – © 2024 Paramount Pictures./IMDb)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
'Glory' (1989) is considered Denzel Washington's best movie both by IMDb ratings and Rotten Tomatoes ratings. He won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film.
His incredible screen presence, deeply engaging performances, and powerful portrayals of some of the most tenacious characters on screen consistently over four decades have made Denzel Washington one of the greatest actors of all time.
'The Equalizer 3' (2023) was his last film as a producer. 'A Journal for Jordan' (2021) was his last film so far as a director. He is also one of the producers of 'Gladiator II' (2024).
Yes, Denzel Washington has been married to Pauletta Washington for more than 40 years, making theirs one of the longest-standing marriages in Hollywood. They have four children, including celebrated actor John David Washington.
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Manas Sen Gupta writes at the intersection of tech, entertainment and history. His works have appeared in publications such as The Statesman, Myanmar Matters, Hindustan Times and News18/ETV. In his spare time, Manas loves studying interactive charts and topographic maps. When not doing either, he prefers reading detective fiction. Spring is his favourite season and he can happily eat a bowl of noodles any time of the day.
