When we talk about the pantheon of Hollywood legends, there’s a level of stardom that’s just… Denzel.
It’s not just the two Oscars, the three Golden Globes, or the fact that he’s played everyone from a corrupt LAPD kingpin to a blind post-apocalyptic samurai. It’s the “Denzel Walk.” It’s the way he says “My man.” It’s the gravity he brings to a script that, in the hands of anyone else, would be a straight-to-streaming bargain bin special.Here the Denzel Washington Movies list
As of 2026, Denzel has over 50 feature films under his belt, including his recent 2025 collaboration with Spike Lee, Highest 2 Lowest. Ranking this filmography isn’t just a fun weekend activity; it’s an exercise in debating the nuances of greatness. How do you choose between the righteous fury of Malcolm X and the terrifying charisma of Training Day?
Grab your popcorn. We’ve done the heavy lifting, re-watching everything from his 1981 debut to his latest masterpieces. Here is the definitive Denzel Washington Movies List: All Films Ranked from Best to Worst.
The Methodology: How We Ranked the GOAT
Ranking Denzel isn’t just about Rotten Tomatoes scores (though we’ve included them for context). We ranked these based on:
- The “Denzel Factor”: How much does his performance elevate the material?
- Cultural Impact: Does the world still quote it?
- Rewatchability: Can you turn it off when you find it on TV at 2:00 AM? (Spoiler: Usually, no).
Part I: The God Tier (The Top 10)
1. Malcolm X (1992)
The Vibe: A towering, three-hour epic that defines a generation. The Performance: This isn’t just acting; it’s a possession. Washington captures the evolution of Malcolm Little to Detroit Red to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz with such surgical precision that you forget you’re watching a movie. Spike Lee’s direction is at its peak here, but Denzel is the engine.
- Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
- Key Line: “I didn’t leave the Nation of Islam. The Nation of Islam left me.”
2. Training Day (2001)
The Vibe: A neon-lit descent into the moral abyss of Los Angeles. The Performance: Alonzo Harris is one of the greatest villains in cinema history because he doesn’t think he’s the villain. He’s the shark in the water. Denzel took his “hero” persona and set it on fire, winning an Oscar for his trouble.
- Authority Review: Roger Ebert’s 3-Star Review
- Key Line: “King Kong ain’t got shit on me!”
3. Glory (1989)
The Vibe: Heart-wrenching, noble, and visually stunning Civil War history. The Performance: If you want to know why Denzel became a superstar, watch the scene where he’s whipped. The single tear. No dialogue. Just pure, unadulterated soul. He won his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor here, and he deserved it for that one scene alone.
4. Fences (2016)
The Vibe: An intimate, claustrophobic masterclass in dialogue and regret. The Performance: Based on August Wilson’s play, Denzel (who also directed) plays Troy Maxson, a man whose bitterness is as vast as his talent. It’s a “big” performance that never feels theatrical. It feels like a man suffocating in his own backyard.
- Metacritic Score: 79
5. Crimson Tide (1995)
The Vibe: High-stakes submarine claustrophobia with two titans clashing. The Performance: Gene Hackman vs. Denzel Washington. That’s it. That’s the movie. The chemistry and tension between the old-guard Captain and the new-school XO are electric. This is arguably the smartest action thriller of the 90s.
6. The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)
The Vibe: Stark, black-and-white Shakespearean noir. The Performance: Working with Joel Coen, Denzel proves that age has only added layers to his gravitas. His Macbeth isn’t just ambitious; he’s tired. He’s a man who knows the cost of his sins but pays them anyway.
7. Philadelphia (1993)
The Vibe: A groundbreaking, empathetic legal drama. The Performance: Everyone talks about Tom Hanks (who won the Oscar), but Denzel’s role is the most important. He plays the audience—the man who starts with prejudice and fear and slowly, painfully, finds his humanity.
8. Man on Fire (2004)
The Vibe: A gritty, hyper-edited revenge fever dream. The Performance: John Creasy is the ultimate “Denzel in Action” role. It’s violent, it’s sentimental, and it shouldn’t work as well as it does. Tony Scott’s direction is erratic, but Denzel’s stillness grounds the entire movie.
- Watch this if: You think John Wick needed more emotional trauma.
9. American Gangster (2007)
The Vibe: A slick, 70s-style crime epic. The Performance: Frank Lucas is the cool, corporate face of the drug trade. Denzel plays him with a chilling professionalism. Watching him navigate the rise and fall of his empire is like watching a master chess player lose his board.
10. Flight (2012)
The Vibe: A harrowing character study of addiction disguised as a disaster movie. The Performance: The opening plane crash is terrifying, but the real horror is Whip Whitaker’s battle with the bottle. Denzel isn’t afraid to make Whip unlikable, which makes his eventual “ascent” to truth all the more powerful.
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Part II: The “He Could Do This in His Sleep” Tier (11-25)
These are the movies where Denzel is great, even if the film itself has a few wobbles.
| Rank | Movie | Year | Why It’s Here |
| 11 | Inside Man | 2006 | The smartest heist movie Spike Lee ever made. |
| 12 | The Hurricane | 1999 | A powerhouse performance in a slightly formulaic biopic. |
| 13 | Devil in a Blue Dress | 1995 | Denzel as a noir detective? We needed 10 sequels. |
| 14 | Remember the Titans | 2000 | The ultimate “feel good” sports movie. “Left side! Strong side!” |
| 15 | Gladiator II | 2024 | Denzel steals the entire movie as the manipulative Macrinus. |
| 16 | Unstoppable | 2010 | Tony Scott’s final film is just a train, Denzel, and Chris Pine. Pure fun. |
| 17 | The Equalizer | 2014 | He’s basically a superhero with a stopwatch. We love it. |
| 18 | He Got Game | 1998 | A complex father-son story with Ray Allen. |
| 19 | Highest 2 Lowest | 2025 | His latest Spike Lee collab. Experimental and sharp. |
| 20 | The Manchurian Candidate | 2004 | A solid remake that lets Denzel play “paranoid” perfectly. |
| 21 | Courage Under Fire | 1996 | A “Rashomon” style mystery where Denzel searches for the truth. |
| 22 | Mississippi Masala | 1991 | A beautiful, underrated romance about culture clash. |
| 23 | The Pelican Brief | 1993 | Denzel and Julia Roberts. Peak 90s star power. |
| 24 | Deja Vu | 2006 | A time-travel thriller that is way better than it has any right to be. |
| 25 | The Book of Eli | 2010 | Post-apocalyptic Denzel. Need we say more? |
Part III: The “Solid but Flawed” Tier (26-40)
Now we’re getting into the projects that were “Good” but perhaps not “Denzel Great.”
- 26. The Equalizer 3 (2023): Beautiful Italian scenery, but the plot is essentially Denzel on vacation occasionally stabbing people. We aren’t complaining, though.
- 27. Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017): He got an Oscar nomination for this, but the movie is a bit of a mess. His performance as an eccentric lawyer is the only reason to watch.
- 28. The Bone Collector (1999): Denzel as a paralyzed forensic expert chasing a serial killer with Angelina Jolie. It’s “Seven-Lite,” but it’s entertaining.
- 29. Out of Time (2003): A sweaty, Florida-set thriller. It’s a fun B-movie where Denzel has to solve a crime he’s being framed for.
- 30. Fallen (1998): A supernatural thriller about a body-hopping demon. It has a killer ending, but the middle drags a bit.
- 31. The Magnificent Seven (2016): A fun western remake. Denzel looks great in a cowboy hat, but the film lacks the soul of the original.
- 32. The Equalizer 2 (2018): The first sequel of his career. It’s okay, but it lacks the focus of the first one.
- 33. 2 Guns (2013): A buddy cop movie with Mark Wahlberg. The chemistry is great; the plot is forgettable.
- 34. The Little Things (2021): A moody, 90s-style thriller that feels like it was written in 1995. Good atmosphere, unsatisfying ending.
- 35. The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009): Another Tony Scott collab. It’s loud and kinetic, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the 1974 original.
Part IV: The Learning Curve
Every legend has a few “What was I thinking?” moments.
- 36. Virtuosity (1995): Denzel vs. a VR version of Russell Crowe. It’s hilariously 90s, but it’s not exactly The Godfather.
- 37. Ricochet (1991): A wild, over-the-top thriller where John Lithgow plays a cartoonish villain. It’s fun in a campy way.
- 38. The Preacher’s Wife (1996): He plays an angel. He’s charming, but the movie is a bit too sugary for our tastes.
- 39. Heart Condition (1990): Denzel plays a ghost who haunts a racist cop who received his heart in a transplant. Yes, that is the actual plot.
- 40. Carbon Copy (1981): His film debut. It’s a dated comedy about a man discovering he has a Black son. Denzel is the best part, but the movie is rough.
The Verdict: Why Denzel Still Matters in 2026
Denzel Washington’s career is a testament to the idea that you can be a massive movie star while remaining a consummate artist. Whether he’s leading a $200 million sequel like Gladiator II or a quiet, stage-bound production like Fences, he treats the work with the same intensity.
He doesn’t just “show up.” He commands.