The Denzel Washington Shrine — Complete Filmography
Every Film. Ranked.
Fifty films. Four decades. Zero bad performances. Every Denzel Washington film scored on Performance, Cultural Impact, Box Office, and Rewatchability. There are no filler entries. He did not make filler films.
Complete Rankings
Performance /10 • Cultural Impact /10 • Box Office /10 • Rewatchability /10 • Total /40
Training Day (2001)
as Alonzo Harris
The perfect villain. Oscar winner. King Kong.
Malcolm X (1992)
as Malcolm X
Three hours. One man. A nation transformed.
Glory (1989)
as Private Trip
The single tear. First Oscar. American cinema changed.
Man on Fire (2004)
as John Creasy
The greatest revenge film. Controlled fury.
Fences (2016)
as Troy Maxson
August Wilson. Broadway to screen. Devastating.
The Hurricane (1999)
as Rubin Carter
60 pounds gained and lost. Prison. Boxing. Freedom.
Remember the Titans (2000)
as Coach Boone
The Gettysburg speech. Inspiration embodied.
American Gangster (2007)
as Frank Lucas
Quiet dominance. The restaurant scene.
Philadelphia (1993)
as Joe Miller
The moral compass. Courtroom precision.
Flight (2012)
as Whip Whitaker
The final testimony. Truth over freedom.
The Equalizer (2014)
as Robert McCall
Home Depot. 28 seconds. Surgical.
The Equalizer 2 (2018)
as Robert McCall
His first sequel. Earned it.
The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)
as Macbeth
Shakespeare at 66. Monumental.
Cry Freedom (1987)
as Steve Biko
First Oscar nomination. The arrival.
John Q (2002)
as John Q. Archibald
B-movie premise. Greek tragedy execution.
The Pelican Brief (1993)
as Gray Grantham
Legal thriller gravitas. Opposite Julia Roberts.
The Book of Eli (2010)
as Eli
Post-apocalyptic. Blind. Deadly.
Antwone Fisher (2002)
as Dr. Davenport
Directorial debut. Restraint as performance.
Deja Vu (2006)
as Doug Carlin
Time travel. Dual-timeline car chase. Conviction.
Mo' Better Blues (1990)
as Bleek Gilliam
Jazz. Spike Lee. Trumpet scenes.
Crimson Tide (1995)
as Lt. Cmdr. Hunter
Submarine tension. Opposite Gene Hackman.
Inside Man (2006)
as Det. Keith Frazier
Spike Lee heist. Smart, stylish, Denzel.
Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017)
as Roman J. Israel
Total physical transformation. Underrated.
The Magnificent Seven (2016)
as Sam Chisolm
Western swagger. Natural authority.
Safe House (2012)
as Tobin Frost
The smartest man in the room. Always.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions About the Filmography
What is Denzel Washington's best movie?
Training Day (2001) ranks #1 on our filmography for its perfect performance score, massive cultural impact, and infinite rewatchability. Man on Fire and Glory are close behind. The top 5 could be rearranged on any given day.
How many movies has Denzel Washington made?
Denzel Washington has appeared in over 50 feature films across a career spanning more than 40 years. He has also directed 4 films. There are no bad performances in his filmography. Only degrees of excellence.
What is Denzel Washington's highest-grossing film?
American Gangster (2007) is his highest-grossing individual film at $266 million worldwide. The Equalizer franchise has collectively grossed over $580 million. His total career box office exceeds $3.5 billion.
Has Denzel Washington ever given a bad performance?
No. This is not hyperbole. Across 50+ films, Denzel Washington has never phoned it in. He has appeared in weaker films, but his performance in every single one elevates the material. The lowest performance score in our rankings is a 7/10, which for any other actor would be a career highlight.
What Denzel Washington movie should I watch first?
Training Day for intensity, Glory for emotional devastation, Remember the Titans for inspiration, Man on Fire for revenge, and Fences for raw dramatic power. Start with any of those five.
How are the movies scored?
Each film is scored on four categories: Performance (/10), Cultural Impact (/10), Box Office (/10), and Rewatchability (/10), for a maximum of /40. Performance measures Denzel's acting quality. Cultural Impact measures the film's lasting influence. Box Office is relative commercial success. Rewatchability measures how well the film holds up.
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