There aren’t many actors out there who are more revered, acclaimed, and beloved than Denzel Washington. He has shined in tremendous performances dating back to the 1980s and scored major accolades, including two Academy Awards. It can be difficult to pick which movies are the most worth watching from his filmography.
After all, with such a deep history of great films under his belt, there’s so much to choose from. Thankfully, one can look to the ratings over at Metacritic for a good idea of what the very best and most acclaimed work of his extraordinary career is. A viewer will quickly understand what makes Washington so good.
10 The Hurricane (74)
One thing that Denzel Washington excels at is his ability to portray real life people on the big screen. He did it effectively in films like Malcolm X and American Gangster. A great instance of him pulling that off came in 1999’s The Hurricane as he played Rubin Carter.
The film tells the story of Carter, nicknamed “The Hurricane,” a former boxer who was wrongfully convicted of a triple murder. Along with the widespread praise that the film received, Washington also scored an Academy Award nomination for his performance.
9 The Manchurian Candidate (76)
Interestingly, there are actually four films from Denzel Washington’s career tied with the same rating of 76. The first one up is The Manchurian Candidate. It was released in 2004 and worked as a remake of the 1962 version, both based on a novel of the same name from 1959.
The sinister plot in this thriller sees soldiers kidnapped during the Gulf War and brainwashed to carry out assassinations. Washington starred as Bennett Marco, one of the soldiers. Although met with strong reviews, it was considered inferior to the original.
8 Flight (76)
There were two major selling points of 2012’s Flight. First was the fact that Denzel Washington was playing the lead role. The other was the incredible shot of a plane flying completely upside down in the trailer. Loosely based on a real plane crash, those aspects captivated audiences.
Washington stars as William “Whip” Whitaker Sr., a pilot with alcoholism. He miraculously lands a plane in incredible fashion, saving almost every passenger but his image as a hero is tainted when it’s revealed that he was drunk while doing so. Washington earned another Oscar nomination.
7 American Gangster (76)
There was something about the on-screen depiction of Frank Lucas that was seemingly too cool. While Lucas did terrible things in his life as a criminal, Washington portrayed him with the demeanor and confidence of someone who was always in control, making for a captivating performance.
Indeed, Washington’s work in 2007’s American Gangster had audiences feeling that he deserved another Oscar nod. The film itself was met with critical praise and features a tremendous supporting cast of Russell Crowe, Josh Brolin, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Ruby Dee (who did get an Oscar nomination).
6 Inside Man (76)
The combination of Spike Lee and Denzel Washington has proven to be a powerful one. 2006’s Inside Man is a big reason why. This movie sees Washington portray Detective Keith Frazier as he negotiates a hostage situation with Dalton Russell (Clive Owen), who has orchestrated a bank robbery.
In the eyes of many, this has gone down as one of the greatest heist thrillers in history, which is a pretty loaded genre. Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, and Willem Dafoe round out a stellar cast. Although it wasn’t nominated for major awards, the film holds up to this day and spawned a sequel.
5 Courage Under Fire (77)
Coming in just ahead of the aforementioned four-way tie is Courage Under Fire. Hitting theaters in 1996, this film partners up Denzel Washington with another powerful actor in Meg Ryan, who was seemingly only starring in hits during the decade.
This film brought Washington back into a story about war as he played U.S. Army officer Lt. Colonel Nathaniel Serling. He struggles with a mistake he made during his time at war as he must investigate a female officer’s worthiness of the Medal of Honor.
4 Devil In A Blue Dress (78)
It’s time for another tie in the ratings, with three movies scoring a 78 on Metacritic. Going back to 1995 for the first one, it’s Devil in a Blue Dress. This was before Washington was officially a household name. Still, he once again proved that he had tremendous acting chops.
Washington plays the role of Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins, a World War II veteran desperate for money. He’s hired to search for a missing woman and gets embroiled in a wild mystery. Although the performances of Washington and Don Cheadle were praised, the film bombed at the box office.
3 Fences (78)
In more recent years, Denzel Washington has branched out to work as both a director and producer. He wore those hats and the one of actor for 2016’s Fences. Adapted from a Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, Fences was a critical darling.
The story centers on a bitter former baseball player living as a working-class man in the 1950s and how he handles the events of his life and family. Washington was up for another Oscar, with his co-star Viola Davis winning one for her standout performance. It was also up for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.
2 Glory (78)
It truly feels like Denzel Washington’s breakout role was in 1989’s Glory. After all, he wasn’t widely known before this premiered and it was in this fantastic film that he scored his first Academy Award nomination. He also walked away from the ceremony as the winner for Best Supporting Actor.
Glory is set during the American Civil War and depicts the first all-Black volunteer unit who must fight prejudices from their enemies and from within. Without this film, it’s possible that Washington’s career wouldn’t have blossomed the way it did.
1 Much Ado About Nothing (80)
Much Ado About Nothing is a tale that has been adapted multiple times over. The William Shakespeare play is usually good for an enjoyable story but it was arguably never better than in the 1993 iteration directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh, which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival.
Like all other versions, it does put the focus on an engaged couple who, with the help of a friend (played by Washington), play matchmaker for their other friends. The ensemble is a treat here as Branagh and Washington are joined by Emma Thompson, Kate Beckinsale, Keanu Reeves, and more.
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