Denzel Washington is one of the most critically-acclaimed actors in Hollywood. During his glamorous career, he has won two Academy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. In 2020, New York Times named him the greatest actor of the XXI century. Two years later, President Joe Biden awarded Washington the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
What are the best Denzel Washington movies? This is what we are going to discuss in this article. His career started in the mid-70s, and he’s still active today, regularly nominated for different awards – even the most prestigious ones.
But before this, let us ask ourselves a question…
Who’s Denzel Washington?
Born in Mount Vernon, New York, young Denzel started acting on different television projects in the 70s. At the beginning of the 80s, he got his first role in a movie – Michael Schultz’s Carbon Copy. Since then, his career has started taking off.
One of his most significant breaks was playing Dr. Phillip Chanlder in NBC’s drama St. Elsewhere. In 1989 Denzel Washington tasted his first drop of glory – he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the war drama Glory.
In 1992 he got one of the most essential roles in his career. Washington was chosen by legendary director Spike Lee to portray one of the most influential men in black history – Malcolm X. Until today, the American actor made some other brilliant performances in movies such as Philadelphia, The Hurricane, Training Day, John Q, etc.
How old is Denzel Washington? He’s currently 67 years old but in good health and continuing to act. He has four children, including the aspiring actor John David Washington.
Who’s Denzel Washington’s wife? He’s been happily married since 1983. His spouse is Pauletta Pearson – someone he met on the set of Wilma – his first TV movie.
Let’s move to the essence…
It’s time to present the most impressive list of Denzel Washington movies. Let’s go!
Training Day
Training Day
Acting as the crooked cop Alonzo Harris in this brilliant movie by Antoine Fuqua, Denzel Washington won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Training Day. The story follows young LAPD detective Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke), who learns the dark ways of corrupt cops under Alonzo’s guidance.
The movie shines with some brilliant acting by Washington and Hawke, who show the best of their abilities. It’s a cult classic now, two decades after its initial release. Denzel’s character is pure evil and a man who plays both sides of the law. Or let’s say it like this – Alonzo Harris is a cop who doesn’t respect the law. He adapts it around his own agenda.
In most of his movies, Denzel Washington plays a positive character, but this time he really shows everyone how to play an evil man.
Malcolm X
Malcolm X
You can’t create a list of Denzel Washington movies and forget to include Spike Lee’s Malcolm X. It’s a flick inspired by one of the most significant icons of all Afro-Americans – Malcolm X.
Spike Lee’s joint follows Malcolm in his progression from a young hustler to one of the most influential figures in the Nation of Islam’s history. In this movie, they challenged Washington to recreate Malcolm X’s legendary rhetoric skills. It’s safe to say he did a good job simply because he’s a fantastic actor. In this movie, we see Denzel Washington young and fresh – still building his name as one of Hollywood’s heavyweights.
American Gangster
American Gangster
It’s a pure joy to see two incredible actors, such as Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, going against each other on the big screen. Directed by the iconic filmmaker Ridley Scott, American Gangster follows the story of notorious mob leader Frank Lucas.
Frank Lucas was a massive player in New York’s underground during the 60s. He used the bodies of dead soldiers from Vietnam to smuggle heroin into the United States. He was also a ruthless gangster who wouldn’t be afraid to shoot you on the street in daylight. (yes, there’s a scene like this in the movie)
In American Gangster, we see Russell Crowe as the cop who aims to take Frank Lucas down. These two don’t meet a lot on the screen, but when they do – it’s a terrific cinema. It’s one of the best Denzel movies.
John Q.
John Q.
Directed by Nick Cassavetes, John Q. is a beautiful piece of drama about a desperate father who is losing the race to save his son’s life. When John Quincy Archibald and his wife learn that their son needs a new heart, they are told that their health insurance does not cover the procedure. They will send their beloved son Michael home to die.
But John won’t agree to this. In one last act of desperation, he pulls a gun and holds everyone in the hospital’s ER as hostages. He only wants his son Michael to receive a new heart.
Creating a list of movies of Denzel Washington is not easy, but including John Q. was effortless. After watching it, you would ask yourself the question – what would you do in John’s position? It’s easily one of the top movies of Denzel Washington.
Crimson Tide
Crimson Tide
There’s something about submarine movies that makes them so entertaining to watch. In this case, Crimson Tide is one of the best. Among cinema fans, it’s knows as the submarine movie with Denzel Washington!
Directed by Tony Scott, Crimson Tide follows the troubling events on an American submarine at a moment when the US is in danger of being hit by Russian nuclear missiles. The plot’s foundation is the conflict between the submarine’s commanding officer (Gene Hackman) and the new executive officer (Denzel Washington). They clash because of different interpretations of order whether to launch the submarine’s missiles or not.
Crimson Tide is just an excellent war movie to watch. The tension between Hackman and Washington, two incredible actors, is intense. The stake is incredibly high – launching a nuclear attack and starting World War III. It’s one of the most intense picks in the Denzel movie list.
Glory
Glory
We already mentioned Glory in this list of movies by Denzel Washington – it’s the one that brought him his first Academy Award. Edward Zwick’s movie is an ambitious project inspired by the Civil War, and we see some fantastic acting by people like Denzel, Morgan Freeman, and Matthew Broderick.
Glory tells us more about what it is to be black in the army during the Civil War and how you’re not treated equally with the white soldiers, despite fighting on the same side. And how racism was not existing only in the South – not at all.
The war scenes in Glory are memorable, while the score is a joy for the senses. And Denzel? Well, he has done enough to be awarded by the Academy. It’s one of the Denzel Washington 80s movies that really deserve attention.
Fences
Fences
Based on the legendary Broadway play by August Wilson, Fences is a powerful movie directed by Denzel Washington himself. He picked the fabulous Viola Davis to partner him in the acting while Stephen Henderson, Jovan Adepo, and Russell Hornsby also did their part.
It’s always tricky to adapt a famous play to the big screen. Not everybody succeeds in this task, but Fences actor and director Denzel Washington did a good job. Some critics described the movie as extremely powerful and effective, while Washington received an Academy Award nomination for his acting performance. It’s one of the greatest Denzel Washington movies.
Devil in a Blue Dress
Devil in a Blue Dress
We continue our list of Denzel Washington movies with Carl Franklin’s Devil in a Blue Dress. It follows a World War II veteran (Washington) who decides to start a new career as a private detective. Sounds cool, doesn’t it? Well, sometimes things are not as fancy as they look.
Based on Raymond Chandler’s story, Devil in a Blue Dress finds the protagonist Easy Rawlins in the center of a complicated murder mystery. At the same time, director Carl Franklin uses the plot to explore an even more problematic matter – the racial landscape of the 1940s United States.
Devil in a Blue Dress is one of the young Denzel Washington movies. It was an exciting phase of his legendary career, so seeing him at such an age is fascinating. But do you know what the best part is? He’s totally killing it!
Philadephia
Philadelphia
We mentioned how good it was to see Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe in the same movie, right? Well, it’s even better in Jonathan Demme’s Philadelphia, where Washington partners Tom Hanks in this incredible drama.
The story follows Tom Hanks’ Andy Bennett, who decides to sue a powerful law firm for his wrongful termination. Not such a big deal, right? Why they made a whole movie about it? Well, here’s the critical detail – Bennett is a homosexual diagnosed with AIDS.
In this movie, we see Denzel Washington as the lawyer who agrees to take Andy Bennett’s case and fight for him in court. He even becomes his friend, although he’s a bit homophobic as well. It’s not an easy movie to watch, but certainly, it’s satisfying.
Remember the Titans
Remember the Titans
Everybody loves an underdog sports narrative, right? We have seen these movies many times but keep watching them because of their “feel good” factor. Remember the Titans is one of these movies.
Here we see Denzel Washington as a black football coach in the 70s who finds a way to inspire his players like never before. It’s not the most original role of his career, but Washington uses his charisma perfectly to uplift the audience. Today it remains one of the most famous sports dramas in history.
Every Denzel Washington new movie is a massive event for cinema lovers. He’s one of the most successful actors of our time, and his legacy is tremendous. Do you agree with our list of Denzel Washington movies? Answer us in the comment section!
FAQ:
What is Denzel Washington’s best movie?
It’s too subjective to answer. You can indeed find some of Denzel’s best works in this article.
What is Denzel Washington’s net worth?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, the current Denzel Washington net worth is around 280 million dollars.
How many Academy Awards has Denzel Washington won?
During his career, he has won two Academy Awards.
