Top 48 Denzel Washington Films
by muybueno16 | created - 13 Oct 2018 | updated - 13 Mar 2023 | PublicAction star of the week with their best films tallied up.
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1. Training Day (2001)
R | 122 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A rookie cop spends his first day as a Los Angeles narcotics officer with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears to be.
Director: Antoine Fuqua | Stars: Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Scott Glenn, Tom Berenger
Votes: 472,278 | Gross: $76.63M
2. The Equalizer (2014)
R | 132 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him cannot stand idly by when he meets a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters.
Director: Antoine Fuqua | Stars: Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz, David Harbour
Votes: 419,398 | Gross: $101.53M
3. Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017)
PG-13 | 122 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Roman J. Israel, Esq., a driven, idealistic defense attorney, finds himself in a tumultuous series of events that lead to a crisis and the necessity for extreme action.
Director: Dan Gilroy | Stars: Denzel Washington, Colin Farrell, Carmen Ejogo, Lynda Gravatt
Votes: 43,133 | Gross: $11.96M
4. 2 Guns (2013)
R | 109 min | Action, Comedy, Thriller
Two hardened criminals get into trouble with the US border patrol after meeting with a Mexican drug lord, and then revelations start to unfold.
Director: Baltasar Kormákur | Stars: Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Paula Patton, Bill Paxton
Votes: 225,203 | Gross: $75.61M
5. The Siege (1998)
R | 116 min | Action, Thriller
The secret U.S. abduction of a suspected terrorist leads to a wave of terrorist attacks in New York City, which leads to the declaration of martial-law.
Director: Edward Zwick | Stars: Denzel Washington, Bruce Willis, Annette Bening, Tony Shalhoub
Votes: 78,035 | Gross: $40.98M
6. Glory (1989)
R | 122 min | Biography, Drama, History
Robert Gould Shaw leads the U.S. Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices from both his own Union Army, and the Confederates.
Director: Edward Zwick | Stars: Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, Morgan Freeman
Votes: 144,267 | Gross: $26.83M
7. The Hurricane (1999)
R | 146 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
The story of Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter, a boxer wrongly imprisoned for murder, and the people who aided in his fight to prove his innocence.
Director: Norman Jewison | Stars: Denzel Washington, Vicellous Shannon, Deborah Kara Unger, Liev Schreiber
Votes: 102,378 | Gross: $50.67M
8. Crimson Tide (1995)
R | 116 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
On a U.S. nuclear missile sub, a young First Officer stages a mutiny to prevent his trigger happy Captain from launching his missiles before confirming his orders to do so.
Director: Tony Scott | Stars: Gene Hackman, Denzel Washington, Matt Craven, George Dzundza
Votes: 123,180 | Gross: $91.40M
9. Philadelphia (1993)
PG-13 | 125 min | Drama
When a man with HIV is fired by his law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.
Director: Jonathan Demme | Stars: Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Roberta Maxwell, Buzz Kilman
Votes: 257,839 | Gross: $77.32M
10. For Queen & Country (1988)
R | 105 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A retired British soldier struggles to adjust to everyday life, with increasing difficulty.
Director: Martin Stellman | Stars: Denzel Washington, Dorian Healy, Sean Chapman, Graham McTavish
Votes: 2,624 | Gross: $0.19M
11. John Q (2002)
PG-13 | 116 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
John Quincy Archibald takes a hospital emergency room hostage when his insurance won't cover his son's heart transplant.
Director: Nick Cassavetes | Stars: Denzel Washington, Robert Duvall, Gabriela Oltean, Kimberly Elise
Votes: 143,585 | Gross: $71.76M
12. Man on Fire (2004)
R | 146 min | Action, Crime, Drama
In Mexico City, a former CIA operative swears vengeance on those who committed an unspeakable act against the family he was hired to protect.
Director: Tony Scott | Stars: Denzel Washington, Christopher Walken, Dakota Fanning, Radha Mitchell
Votes: 389,173 | Gross: $77.91M
13. Deja Vu (2006)
PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Crime, Sci-Fi
After a ferry is bombed in New Orleans, an A.T.F. agent joins a unique investigation using experimental surveillance technology to find the bomber, but soon finds himself becoming obsessed with one of the victims.
Director: Tony Scott | Stars: Denzel Washington, Paula Patton, Jim Caviezel, Val Kilmer
Votes: 327,319 | Gross: $64.04M
14. Fences (2016)
PG-13 | 139 min | Drama
A working-class African-American father tries to raise his family in the 1950s, while coming to terms with the events of his life.
Director: Denzel Washington | Stars: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jovan Adepo
Votes: 117,896 | Gross: $57.68M
15. Antwone Fisher (2002)
PG-13 | 120 min | Biography, Drama
Antwone Fisher, a young navy man, is forced to see a psychiatrist after a violent outburst against a fellow crewman. During the course of treatment a painful past is revealed and a new hope begins.
Director: Denzel Washington | Stars: Denzel Washington, Derek Luke, Joy Bryant, Malcolm David Kelley
Votes: 38,393 | Gross: $21.08M
16. American Gangster (2007)
R | 157 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
An outcast New York City cop is charged with bringing down Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas, whose real life inspired this partly biographical film.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin
Votes: 452,136 | Gross: $130.16M
17. Ricochet (1991)
R | 102 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A District Attorney is terrorized by the criminal he put away years ago when he was a cop.
Director: Russell Mulcahy | Stars: Denzel Washington, John Lithgow, Ice-T, Kevin Pollak
Votes: 20,353 | Gross: $21.76M
18. The Great Debaters (2007)
PG-13 | 126 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
A drama based on the true story of Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at Wiley College Texas. In 1935, he inspired students to form the school's first debate team, which went on to challenge Harvard in the national championship.
Director: Denzel Washington | Stars: Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, Kimberly Elise, Nate Parker
Votes: 62,820 | Gross: $30.23M
19. The Bone Collector (1999)
R | 118 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A quadriplegic ex-homicide detective and his partner try to track down a serial killer who is terrorizing New York City.
Director: Phillip Noyce | Stars: Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Queen Latifah, Michael Rooker
Votes: 184,734 | Gross: $66.52M
20. He Got Game (1998)
R | 136 min | Drama, Sport
A basketball player's father must try to convince him to go to a college so he can get a shorter sentence.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Denzel Washington, Milla Jovovich, Ray Allen, Rosario Dawson
Votes: 51,405 | Gross: $21.55M
21. License to Kill (1984 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 96 min | Drama, Thriller
A grieving family whose daughter was killed in a car crash with a drunken driver is outraged and frustrated as they encounter the inevitable bureaucratic delays in bringing the case to ... See full summary »
Director: Jud Taylor | Stars: James Farentino, Penny Fuller, Don Murray, Millie Perkins
Votes: 1,068
22. Power (1986)
R | 111 min | Drama
After a close friend drops out of politics, a political consultant helping to find a replacement finds a web of corruption and deceit as well.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Richard Gere, Julie Christie, Gene Hackman, Kate Capshaw
Votes: 3,377 | Gross: $3.80M
23. Inside Man (2006)
R | 129 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A police detective, a bank robber, and a high-power broker enter high-stakes negotiations after the criminal's brilliant heist spirals into a hostage situation.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer
Votes: 397,399 | Gross: $88.51M
24. Remember the Titans (2000)
PG | 113 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
In 1971 Virginia high school football was everything to the people of Alexandria. But when the school board was forced to integrate an all-black school with an all-white one, the very foundation of football's tradition was put to the test.
Director: Boaz Yakin | Stars: Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Wood Harris, Ryan Hurst
Votes: 231,722 | Gross: $115.65M
25. Fallen (1998)
R | 124 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Homicide detective John Hobbes witnesses the execution of serial killer Edgar Reese. Soon after the execution, the killings start again, and they are very similar to Reese's style.
Director: Gregory Hoblit | Stars: Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Donald Sutherland, Embeth Davidtz
Votes: 92,437 | Gross: $25.19M
26. The Equalizer 2 (2018)
R | 121 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
Robert McCall serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed, but how far will he go when that is someone he loves?
Director: Antoine Fuqua | Stars: Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders, Orson Bean
Votes: 197,219 | Gross: $102.08M
27. The Magnificent Seven (2016)
PG-13 | 132 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Seven gunmen from a variety of backgrounds are brought together by a vengeful young widow to protect her town from the private army of a destructive industrialist.
Director: Antoine Fuqua | Stars: Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio
Votes: 228,009 | Gross: $93.43M
28. Flight (I) (2012)
R | 138 min | Drama, Thriller
Troubling questions arise after airline pilot Whip Whitaker makes a miracle landing after a mid-air catastrophe.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Denzel Washington, Nadine Velazquez, Don Cheadle, John Goodman
Votes: 375,897 | Gross: $93.77M
29. Safe House (2012)
R | 115 min | Action, Thriller
A young CIA agent is tasked with looking after a fugitive in a safe house. But when the safe house is attacked, he finds himself on the run with his charge.
Director: Daniel Espinosa | Stars: Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Robert Patrick, Vera Farmiga
Votes: 235,405 | Gross: $126.37M
30. Unstoppable (2010)
PG-13 | 98 min | Action, Thriller
With an unmanned, half-mile-long freight train barreling toward a city, a veteran engineer and a young conductor race against the clock to prevent a catastrophe.
Director: Tony Scott | Stars: Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson, Ethan Suplee
Votes: 207,641 | Gross: $81.56M
31. The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
R | 129 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
In the midst of the Gulf War, soldiers are kidnapped and brainwashed for sinister purposes.
Director: Jonathan Demme | Stars: Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber, Meryl Streep, Kimberly Elise
Votes: 116,538 | Gross: $65.96M
32. Courage Under Fire (1996)
R | 116 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
A U.S. Army officer, despondent about a deadly mistake he made, investigates a female chopper commander's worthiness for the Medal of Honor.
Director: Edward Zwick | Stars: Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, Lou Diamond Phillips, Michael Moriarty
Votes: 59,489 | Gross: $59.03M
33. Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)
R | 102 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A Black war hero is hired to find a mysterious woman, and gets mixed up in a murderous political scandal in 1948 Los Angeles.
Director: Carl Franklin | Stars: Denzel Washington, Tom Sizemore, Jennifer Beals, Don Cheadle
Votes: 24,119 | Gross: $16.03M
34. Virtuosity (1995)
R | 106 min | Action, Crime, Sci-Fi
When a virtual reality simulation created using the personalities of multiple serial killers manages to escape into the real world, an ex-cop is tasked with stopping its reign of terror.
Director: Brett Leonard | Stars: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Kelly Lynch, Stephen Spinella
Votes: 32,358 | Gross: $24.05M
35. The Pelican Brief (1993)
PG-13 | 141 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A law student uncovers a conspiracy, putting herself and others in danger.
Director: Alan J. Pakula | Stars: Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington, Sam Shepard, John Heard
Votes: 95,883 | Gross: $100.77M
36. Mississippi Masala (1991)
R | 118 min | Drama, Romance
An ethnic Indian family is expelled from Idi Amin's Uganda in 1972 and lives in Mississippi 17 years later. The dad sues Uganda to get his property back. The grown daughter falls in love with a Black man.
Director: Mira Nair | Stars: Denzel Washington, Sarita Choudhury, Roshan Seth, Sharmila Tagore
Votes: 6,187 | Gross: $7.31M
37. Heart Condition (1990)
R | 100 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A racist cop receives a heart transplant from a black lawyer he hates, who returns as a ghost to ask the cop to help take down the men who murdered him.
Director: James D. Parriott | Stars: Bob Hoskins, Denzel Washington, Chloe Webb, Roger E. Mosley
Votes: 4,016 | Gross: $4.13M
38. The Mighty Quinn (1989)
R | 98 min | Action, Crime, Drama
When police officer Xavier Quinn's childhood friend, Maubee, becomes associated with murder and a briefcase full of ten thousand dollar bills, The Mighty Quinn must clear his name. Or try to catch him, which could be even trickier.
Director: Carl Schenkel | Stars: Denzel Washington, Robert Townsend, James Fox, Mimi Rogers
Votes: 6,536 | Gross: $4.56M
39. Cry Freedom (1987)
PG | 157 min | Biography, Drama, History
South African journalist Donald Woods is forced to flee the country after attempting to investigate the death in custody of his friend, the Black anti-Apartheid activist Steve Biko.
Director: Richard Attenborough | Stars: Denzel Washington, Kevin Kline, Josette Simon, Wabei Siyolwe
Votes: 14,449 | Gross: $5.90M
40. A Soldier's Story (1984)
PG | 101 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An African-American officer investigates a murder in a racially charged situation in World War II.
Director: Norman Jewison | Stars: Howard E. Rollins Jr., Adolph Caesar, Art Evans, David Alan Grier
Votes: 11,380 | Gross: $21.82M
41. A Journal for Jordan (2021)
PG-13 | 131 min | Drama, Romance, War
1st Sgt. Charles Monroe King, before he is killed in action in Baghdad, authors a journal for his son intended to tell him how to live a decent life despite growing up without a father.
Director: Denzel Washington | Stars: Michael B. Jordan, Chanté Adams, Jalon Christian, Robert Wisdom
Votes: 2,880
42. The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)
R | 105 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A Scottish lord becomes convinced by a trio of witches that he will become the next King of Scotland, and his ambitious wife supports him in his plans of seizing power.
Director: Joel Coen | Stars: Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Alex Hassell, Bertie Carvel
Votes: 39,609
43. The Preacher's Wife (1996)
PG | 123 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
An angel comes to Earth to help a preacher save his church and his family.
Director: Penny Marshall | Stars: Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston, Courtney B. Vance, Gregory Hines
Votes: 13,719 | Gross: $48.10M
44. Malcolm X (1992)
PG-13 | 202 min | Biography, Drama, History
Biographical epic of the controversial and influential Black Nationalist leader, from his early life and career as a small-time gangster, to his ministry as a member of the Nation of Islam and his eventual assassination.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Delroy Lindo, Spike Lee
Votes: 101,955 | Gross: $48.17M
45. Mo' Better Blues (1990)
R | 130 min | Drama, Music, Romance
Jazz trumpeter Bleek Gilliam makes questionable decisions in his professional and romantic lives.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Wesley Snipes, Giancarlo Esposito
Votes: 13,641 | Gross: $16.15M
46. Carbon Copy (1981)
PG | 92 min | Comedy, Drama
When a rich white corporate executive finds out that he has an illegitimate black son, things start falling apart for him at home, work, and in his social circles.
Director: Michael Schultz | Stars: George Segal, Susan Saint James, Jack Warden, Dick Martin
Votes: 3,250 | Gross: $9.57M
47. The George McKenna Story (1986 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 100 min | Biography, Drama
He risked it all to make the grade.
Director: Eric Laneuville | Stars: Denzel Washington, Lynn Whitfield, Akosua Busia, Richard Masur
Votes: 1,075
48. The Book of Eli (2010)
R | 118 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A drifter fights his way across a ravaged, post-apocalyptic America while protecting a sacred book that holds the secrets to humanity's salvation.
Directors: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes | Stars: Denzel Washington, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson, Gary Oldman
Votes: 339,059 | Gross: $94.84M
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