It’s been over 40 years since Denzel Washington made his acting debut, and he is still one of the most relevant figures in the entertainment industry. Most of Washington’s movies are hits, partly because he knows which contract to put his signature on and which not to, and majorly because he is a wildly talented actor that never has a bad day on set. The actor has also received a whopping 10 Oscar nominations for his work (winning two).
The majority of movie lovers are familiar with Training Day and American Gangster, among others, but some Denzel Washington projects are still underrated to this day. These productions feature much of the same ingredients that audiences always get from the actor’s other films, yet they were somehow watched by only a few people. Still, in the age of streaming where everything is easily accessible to those with desire and time, it’s never too late to revisit them.
10 Antwone Fisher (2002)
Antwone Fisher pores over trauma and mental health via the life of the Naval officer, Antwone. After a string of violent outbursts while on duty, he is ordered to see the psychiatrist, Dr. Jerome Davenport (Denzel Washington), who encourages him to open up about the dark details of his life. The film bases its plot on the events detailed in the autobiographical book, Finding Fish.
The lead actor, Derek Luke, gives one of the most impressive actor debut performances of the 2000s, but Washington steals the show, thanks to his mastery of dialogue. For most of the 120-minute running time, the two characters get to just talk, yet things never get boring. Their conversations hook the viewer and never sets them free. And by listening to Dr. Davenport’s choice of words, the viewer gets to learn a lesson or two about how to extract information from people.
9 Cry Freedom (1987)
Richard Attenborough’s Cry Freedom tells the story of the South African journalist and anti-Apartheid activist, Donald Woods, who initially criticizes the methods of the more popular Black activist Steve Biko (Denzel Washington), but grows to like him after spending some time with him. The film earned Washington his first-ever Oscar nomination and was also nominated for Best Original Song (for the catchy “Cry Freedom”).
Though the biographical drama didn’t perform well at the box office, it’s a very recommendable film given how deep it dives into the South African freedom struggle. Most people around the world only know Nelson Mandela, so Cry Freedom feels refreshing because it favors the junior champions of liberation like Woods and Biko. Apart from that, it educates audiences about the nature of racism in South Africa, revealing that not all White people were racists. There were men like Woods who felt Black people deserved better.
8 The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua have made many successful movies together, but their remake of The Magnificent Seven — which follows bounty hunters attempting to take down the gold baron Bartholomew Bogue — didn’t attract as many eyeballs as the original John Sturges version, despite having a strong cast that includes Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, and Vincent D’Onforio. It could be argued that remaking one of the greatest Westerns of all time was a mistake, but the modern version is more palatable to modern views.
The original suffers from cheesy dialogue sometimes while its cinematography is hardly outstanding, which is understandable given the era it was released. The remake, on the other hand, has some of the best visuals of any Western film as well as action sequences that beat many of those from Golden Age productions. On top of that, Fuqua’s The Magnificent Seven has an incredibly long and joyous final battle sequence guaranteed to make most genre fans euphoric.
7 The Great Debaters (2007)
The Great Debaters — based on Tony Scherman’s 1997 article for American Legacy magazine — is a touching examination of hard work and resilience. The biographical drama revolves around Melvin B. Tolson (Washington), a Wiley College Professor that encourages his students to form a debate team, before guiding them to the national championship where they defeat Havard.
Creative liberties are taken to make The Great Debater’s story even juicier. For example, Wiley College defeat the then reigning champions, the University of Southern California, and not Havard, as depicted in the movie. There is no denying that the switch makes the team look a lot more formidable. Away from the debate plot, the film also addresses rampant racism in the 1930s, notably through the disclosure that Wiley College was stripped of the championship because Black people weren’t allowed to be members of the debate society at the time.
6 Virtuosity (1995)
By evaluating Denzel Washington’s body of work, it can be noted that he isn’t a sci-fi fan. He has only ever made two movies in the genre, but he ought to consider doing more, given how captivating Virtuosity is. The actor plays Parker Barnes, a former LAPD officer imprisoned for killing the man that murdered his family. Soon, he is recruited to test out a new VR system where the goal is to arrest SID 6.7 — an A.I.-generated criminal modeled after the toughest lawbreakers on the land. However, things get complicated when SID 6.7 escapes to the real world.
Virtuosity feels even more relevant now, given its premise. In an era where A.I. is dreaded, a villain like SID 6.7 would definitely be appreciated by audiences. As for the movie’s entertainment value, audiences are likely to enjoy the kind of cat-and-mouse dynamics, which are similar to those seen in American Gangster. As is the case in that biopic, Washington faces an adversary played by Russel Crowe here, and the two constantly bring the best out of each other.
5 Out of Time (2003)
Out of Time qualifies for inclusion among the movies with too many plot twists since a new revelation pops up every 10 times. Under ordinary circumstances, this would be annoying, or laughable, but watching Washington maintain his franticness for 100 straight minutes is enough to make anyone appreciate the work done here. In the thriller, Florida Keys Chief of Police, Mathias “Matt” Lee Whitlock (Washington), decides to take $485,000 out of the evidence room in order to help his terminally ill lover get treatment overseas. This lands him in trouble, and he soon learns that she wasn’t actually ill.
Washington’s character thus spends much of the movie trying to cover up his own crime while attempting to figure out how he was tricked and why. The film has a Miami Vice and Scarface feel to it, with all the residents dressed in bright casual outfits, and the criminals being interested in nothing but drugs. Additionally, the relationship arc is very satisfactory.
4 Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017)
Only a few actors have the ability to make an average movie watchable and Denzel Washington happens to be one of them. In all fairness, Roman J. Israel, Esq, could use better side characters. Nonetheless, Washington is able to cover up the writing flaws through his powerful monologues and accurate facial expressions. It isn’t the first time the actor is portraying a lawyer but he does so much better on this occasion, and the Oscar nomination her received feels very much deserved.
Roman J. Israel, Esq follows Roman as he builds a defense for a young man accused of killing a convenience store clerk. It’s the kind of movie that’s better suited to the actor’s diehard fans and people with ties to the justice system because it has plenty of legal jargon. The costume design team deserves some praise too as this is the only film where Washington looks like someone else, rather than his usual self.
3 The Hurricane (1999)
In the late ‘60s, Rubin “The Hurricane” Carter was on his way to becoming the biggest name in boxing. Sadly, his trajectory was halted when someone wrongfully accused him of three murders in a bar. Consequently, he had to spend time before bars, and it wasn’t until 1985 that the error was realized, resulting in Carter being released. The character is played by Denzel Washington in The Hurricane, with the movie basing its plot on the autobiography, The Sixteenth Round: From Number 1 Contender To 45472.
Washington has another Oscar nomination to show for his great work here, and apart from the actor’s magnificence, The Hurricane impresses by carefully perusing the flaws of the justice system. Besides that, it’s the kind of film that keeps improving. The second act is much better than the first, while the third is much better than the second. On top of that, there are tons of emotional moments guaranteed to make the eyes of audiences watery.
2 Mississippi Masala (1991)
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Hollywood is overflowing with movies about forbidden love, yet Mississippi Masala deserves more praise because it doesn’t just focus on the couple, but on broader issues such as political conflict and racism. Events kick off with Mina and her Indian family being forced to flee Uganda because of a new order barring the community from conducting business in the country. She relocates to America where she falls in love with the carpenter Demetrius (Washington). Sadly, her family shows plenty of hostility towards Demetrius.
The ironies of prejudice are, therefore, brilliantly showcased in Mississippi Masala. Mina’s family members feel Ugandans acted in a racist manner towards them. At the same time, they themselves don’t hesitate to ban one of their own from dating a Black man. The hypocrisy gets addressed several times in the dialogue, and as the brilliant actor that he is, Washington looks very convincing whenever he is defending his character’s relationship.
1 He Got Game (1998)
Many actors have a single director that favors them more, but Denzel Washington has several. Besides Tony Scott and Antoine Fuqua, there is Spike Lee, who was quick to sign him up for a second project after their success in Malcolm X. In He Got Game, the future starts looking bright for Washington’s convicted character, Jake, when he is offered a lighter sentence in exchange for him convincing his son (a talented basketball player) to join the Governor’s alma mater.
Generally, He Got Game excels by offering a detailed look into the complicated nature of father-son relationships. The film takes a familiar path by having Jake struggle to convince his son to join the school, but it remains lively through heated dialogue and a heartwarming subplot that involves the protagonist falling in love with an escort that he rescued from an assault incident. There is a major twist at the end too, one that accurately highlights the mean nature of humans.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
