47 Best Denzel Washington Movies Ranked

(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Over the course of his decades in show business, Denzel Washington has done pretty much everything — he’s played cops (good and bad), lawyers, reporters, educators, doctors, mobsters, and more, earning multiple Academy Awards and more than a billion dollars in box office grosses along the way. Of course, it’s fairly difficult to do all that without piling up a pretty hefty stack of positive reviews, and Mr. Washington’s filmography has definitely drawn its share, from Oscar winners like Glory, Training Day, and Philadelphia to his collaborations with director Spike Lee, like Malcolm X, He Got Game, and Inside Man. With all of that in mind, we’re here to celebrate by taking a comprehensive look at his career, including the best Denzel Washington movies and the worst. Perfection! Let’s go to work.

#1

Adjusted Score: 99672%

Critics Consensus: Bolstered by exceptional cinematography, powerful storytelling, and an Oscar-winning performance by Denzel Washington, Glory remains one of the finest Civil War movies ever made.

#2

Adjusted Score: 106123%

Critics Consensus: Led by a stellar Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth strips the classic story down to its visual and narrative essentials.

#3

Adjusted Score: 104968%

Critics Consensus: From its reunited Broadway stars to its screenplay, the solidly crafted Fences finds its Pulitzer-winning source material fundamentally unchanged -- and still just as powerful.

#4

Adjusted Score: 101223%

Critics Consensus: Humor, interesting characters, and attention to details make the stylish Devil in a Blue Dress an above average noir.

#5

Adjusted Score: 98395%

Critics Consensus: Sarita Choudhury and Denzel Washington's romantic chemistry lights up the screen in Mississippi Masala, Mira Nair's observant and sexy tale of cultures clashing.

#6

Adjusted Score: 94217%

Critics Consensus: Kenneth Branagh's love for the material is contagious in this exuberant adaptation.

#7

Adjusted Score: 92647%

Critics Consensus: Boasting taut, high energy thrills and some cracking dialogue courtesy of an uncredited Quentin Tarantino, Crimson Tide finds director Tony Scott near the top of his action game.

#8

Adjusted Score: 94649%

Critics Consensus: Anchored by a powerful performance from Denzel Washington, Spike Lee's biopic of legendary civil rights leader Malcolm X brings his autobiography to life with an epic sweep and a nuanced message.

#9

Adjusted Score: 94819%

Critics Consensus: As fast, loud, and relentless as the train at the center of the story, Unstoppable is perfect popcorn entertainment -- and director Tony Scott's best movie in years.

#10

Adjusted Score: 94529%

Critics Consensus: Spike Lee's energetic and clever bank-heist thriller is a smart genre film that is not only rewarding on its own terms, but manages to subvert its pulpy trappings with wit and skill.

#11

Adjusted Score: 89596%

Critics Consensus: An emotional and intriguing tale of a military officer who must review the merits of a fallen officer while confronting his own war demons. Effectively depicts the terrors of war as well as its heartbreaking aftermath.

#12

Adjusted Score: 87381%

Critics Consensus: Thanks in large part to one of Denzel Washington's most powerful on-screen performances, The Hurricane is a moving, inspirational sports drama, even if it takes few risks in telling its story.

#13

Adjusted Score: 89574%

Critics Consensus: American Gangster is a gritty and entertaining throwback to classic gangster films, with its lead performers firing on all cylinders.

#14

Adjusted Score: 86815%

Critics Consensus: Philadelphia indulges in some unfortunate clichés in its quest to impart a meaningful message, but its stellar cast and sensitive direction are more than enough to compensate.

#15

Adjusted Score: 86865%

Critics Consensus: While not the classic its predecessor is, this update is well-acted and conjures a chilling resonance.

#16

Adjusted Score: 84868%

Critics Consensus: A wonderful cast and top-notch script elevate The Great Debaters beyond a familiar formula for a touching, uplifting drama.

#17

Adjusted Score: 83557%

Critics Consensus: Though not without its flaws, He Got Game finds Spike Lee near the top of his game, combining trenchant commentary with his signature visuals and a strong performance from Denzel Washington.

#18

Adjusted Score: 82701%

Critics Consensus: Washington's directing debut is a solidly crafted, emotionally touching work.

#19

Adjusted Score: 88419%

Critics Consensus: Robert Zemeckis makes a triumphant return to live-action cinema with Flight, a thoughtful and provocative character study propelled by a compelling performance from Denzel Washington.

#20

Adjusted Score: 92236%

Critics Consensus: A meticulously-crafted murder mystery with incisive observations about race in America, A Soldier's Story benefits from a roundly excellent ensemble and Charles Fuller's politically urgent screenplay.

#21

Adjusted Score: 88753%

Critics Consensus: A deft hybrid of laughs, espionage, and music, The Mighty Quinn is a smart, pleasant entertainment that offers an early example of Denzel Washington's onscreen magnetism.

#22

Adjusted Score: 75834%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

#23

Adjusted Score: 74866%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

#24

Adjusted Score: 79983%

Critics Consensus: The ending may be less than satisfying, but Denzel Washington reminds us why he's such a great actor in this taut and brutal police drama.

#25

Adjusted Score: 84876%

Critics Consensus: Another entertaining outing from Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington, The Equalizer 3 mostly makes up for its formulaic story with generous helpings of cathartic action.

#26

Adjusted Score: 77209%

Critics Consensus: An inspirational crowd-pleaser with a healthy dose of social commentary, Remember the Titans may be predictable, but it's also well-crafted and features terrific performances.

#27

Adjusted Score: 79204%

Critics Consensus: The Magnificent Seven never really lives up to the superlative in its title -- or the classics from which it draws inspiration -- but remains a moderately diverting action thriller on its own merits.

#28

Adjusted Score: 72488%

Critics Consensus: Formulaic and often jarringly violent, 2 Guns rests its old-school appeal on the interplay between its charismatic, well-matched stars.

#29

Adjusted Score: 68992%

Critics Consensus: A fun and stylish thriller if you can get past the contrivances.

#30

Adjusted Score: 64724%

Critics Consensus: Solid performances and a steady directorial hand help The Preacher's Wife offer some reliably heartwarming - albeit fairly predictable - holiday cheer.

#31

Adjusted Score: 70600%

Critics Consensus: The Equalizer is more stylishly violent than meaningful, but with Antoine Fuqua behind the cameras and Denzel Washington dispensing justice, it delivers.

#32

Adjusted Score: 62351%

Critics Consensus: Tony Scott tries to combine action, science fiction, romance, and explosions into one movie, but the time travel conceit might be too preposterous and the action falls apart under scrutiny.

#33

Adjusted Score: 64301%

Critics Consensus: Intriguing yet heavy-handed, Roman J. Israel, Esq. makes the most of -- but never quite lives up to -- Denzel Washington's magnetic performance in the title role.

#34

Adjusted Score: 59856%

Critics Consensus: Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington are a compelling team in the overlong Pelican Brief, a pulpy thriller that doesn't quite justify the intellectual remove of Alan J. Pakula's direction.

#35

Adjusted Score: 62007%

Critics Consensus: Safe House stars Washington and Reynolds are let down by a thin script and choppily edited action sequences.

#36

Adjusted Score: 63351%

Critics Consensus: The Equalizer 2 delivers the visceral charge of a standard vigilante thriller, but this reunion of trusted talents ultimately proves a disappointing case study in diminishing returns.

#37

Adjusted Score: 60178%

Critics Consensus: Despite a strong cast, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 suffers under the excesses of Tony Scott's frantic direction, and fails to measure up to the 1974 original.

#38

Adjusted Score: 50373%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

#39

Adjusted Score: 55353%

Critics Consensus: It's certainly uneven, and many viewers will find that its reach exceeds its grasp, but The Book of Eli finds the Hughes brothers injecting some fresh stylish fun into the kind of post-apocalyptic wasteland filmgoers have seen more than enough of lately.

#40

Adjusted Score: 58264%

Critics Consensus: An exceptionally well-cast throwback thriller, The Little Things will feel deeply familiar to genre fans -- for better and for worse.

#41

Adjusted Score: 47281%

Critics Consensus: An exciting, well-paced action film.

#42

Adjusted Score: 42935%

Critics Consensus: Has an interesting premise. Unfortunately, it's just a recycling of old materials, and not all that thrilling.

#43

Adjusted Score: 44292%

Critics Consensus: Man on Fire's solid action and top-shelf cast are undone by a relentlessly grim story that gets harder to take the longer it goes on.

#44

Adjusted Score: 33873%

Critics Consensus: Woefully deficient in thrills or common sense, Virtuosity strands its talented stars in a story whose vision of the future is depressingly short on imagination.

#45

Adjusted Score: 29407%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

#46

Adjusted Score: 31968%

Critics Consensus: A talented cast is wasted on a bland attempt at a suspenseful, serial killer flick.

#47

Adjusted Score: 30200%

Critics Consensus: Washington's performance rises above the material, but John Q pounds the audience over the head with its message.

#48

Adjusted Score: 9388%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

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