The 18 Greatest Denzel Washington Movies

Steely cops and street kings, soldiers and lawyers, hushed dramas and full-throttle thrillers, this spread captures every side of one of cinema's most commanding leading men. Which one wins?

1

Training Day

The 2001 crime thriller that won Washington the Academy Award for Best Actor as corrupt narcotics detective Alonzo Harris.

1000pts

2

Malcolm X

Spike Lee's sweeping 1992 biopic featuring Washington's Oscar-nominated portrayal of the civil rights leader.

885pts

3

Glory

The 1989 Civil War drama that earned Washington his first Oscar, for Best Supporting Actor.

680pts

4

Crimson Tide

The 1995 submarine thriller pitting Washington's officer against Gene Hackman's captain.

624pts

5

Déjà Vu

Tony Scott's 2006 sci-fi thriller with Washington as an agent using time-bending technology to stop an attack.

560pts

6

Inside Man

Spike Lee's 2006 heist thriller with Washington as a detective negotiating a tense bank standoff.

485pts

7

American Gangster

Ridley Scott's 2007 crime epic starring Washington as real-life Harlem drug kingpin Frank Lucas.

485pts

8

The Hurricane

The 1999 biopic of wrongly imprisoned boxer Rubin Carter that earned Washington an Oscar nomination.

397pts

9

Philadelphia

The landmark 1993 drama in which Washington plays a lawyer defending a man with AIDS.

397pts

10

The Equalizer

The 2014 action thriller in which Washington plays a retired operative dispensing lethal justice.

397pts

11

Roman J. Israel, Esq.

The 2017 legal drama that earned Washington an Oscar nomination as an idealistic activist lawyer.

397pts

12

Remember the Titans

The uplifting 2000 sports drama in which Washington coaches a newly integrated high school football team.

291pts

13

The Great Debaters

Washington directed and starred in this 2007 drama about a 1930s college debate team.

291pts

14

Man on Fire

Tony Scott's 2004 revenge thriller with Washington as a bodyguard avenging a kidnapped girl in Mexico City.

291pts

15

The Book of Eli

A 2010 post-apocalyptic action film with Washington guarding a sacred book across a ruined America.

162pts

16

Courage Under Fire

A 1996 war drama with Washington investigating a fallen officer's posthumous medal.

162pts

17

Fences

Washington directed and starred in this 2016 adaptation of August Wilson's play, earning an Oscar nomination.

162pts

18

Flight

The 2012 drama featuring Washington's Oscar-nominated turn as an airline pilot battling addiction.

162pts