Denzel Washington utilized his talents as one of the greatest actors of all time to star in countless nail-biting thrillers. As a two-time Oscar winner, Washington’s fascinating career has been characterized by great variety, as he has excelled at fast-paced action, harrowing drama, and pulse-pounding thrillers over the years. Washington’s greatest thrillers brought together many styles that kept audiences coming back to witness bank robberies, biographical crime stories, and thought-provoking sci-fi releases that left an undeniable mark on modern cinema.
Some of Washington’s best films were thrillers, as the actor’s unique blend of strong characterization, sinister charisma, and poetic power made him stand out as a defining actor of the 20th and 21st centuries. From Washington’s collaborations with director Tony Scott and other acclaimed works with authors such as Ridley Scott and Spike Lee, Washington’s filmography was truly full of emotions. For viewers looking for some incredible thrillers with strong performances, look no further than Washington’s work.
10
Ricochet (1991)
Denzel Washington as Assistant District Attorney Nick Styles
In the early 1990s, Denzel Washington had not yet fully demonstrated his abilities as an ideal protagonist for tense and exciting action thrillers. That all changed with his role as a former LAPD officer and District Attorney Nick Styles on Russell Mulcahy’s Ricochet. This shocking thriller also doubled as a riveting Die Hard spin-off that featured Mary Ellen Trainor reprising her role as Gail Wallens from the iconic Bruce Willis film. Ricochet it showed Washington being terrorized by the deranged killer (John Lithgow), who he arrested while still a cop.
This tense revenge story laid the foundation for Washington’s future career in thrillers, mixing action and drama. With strong chemistry between Washington and Lithgow, the pair make excellent enemies, as the suave cop turned lawman must face a seething psychopathic megalomaniac determined to ruin his life. Although Washington had better thrillers in later decades, this was an early career triumph that showed he had what it takes to play a leading man in action-packed thrillers.
9
Safe House (2012)
Denzel Washington as Tobin Frost
The action thriller Safe House reunited Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds for one of the stars’ highest-grossing films, grossing over $208 million (via Box Office Mojo). Like a tension-filled conspiracy where virtually every character has a glaring moral flaw, Tobin Frost’s sinister characterization of Washington showed his more villainous side. Safe House told the story of a low-level CIA agent (Reynolds) who lost his head while contesting fugitive former agent turned international criminal Frost.
While this kind of mismatched hero-villain story has been told countless times before, Washington’s committed performance helped elevate the cliché-ridden aspects of his script. With many fast-paced sequences and good chemistry between its protagonists, Safe House would appeal to audiences who like simple action films, with straightforward, well-resolved plots. Although Safe House Didn’t win any points for originalityhe knew what it was and did it well.
8
The Pelican Summary (1993)
Denzel Washington as Gray Grantham
While many viewers may associate Denzel Washington with intense action thrillers, he has also excelled in more thoughtful thrillers like the John Grisham adaptation. The Pelican Summary. This story of law, order and brutal murders was an intense legal thriller starring Washington and Julia Roberts, depicting criminal corruption and the adrenaline-pumping power of investigative journalism. With a complex narrative that mixes intricate overlapping layers with gripping suspense, The Pelican Summary stood next to Malcolm X and Philadelphia as one of Washington’s best works during the 1990s.
Washington played Gray Grantham in The Pelican Summaryone Washington Herald reporter who helped Roberts as law student Darby Shaw, who has fallen further into a deadly conspiracy. As one of the best film adaptations of Grisham’s work The Pelican Summary was writer-director Alan J. Pakula’s penultimate film before he died in 1998. It was a pulpy thriller with lots of twists and turns and one of Washington’s most underrated roles.
7
Déjà Vu (2006)
Denzel Washington as ATF Special Agent Douglas Carlin
The late, great Tony Scott directed Denzel Washington in the gripping sci-fi thriller Déjà Vuan intense film about an agent traveling through time to prevent a terrorist attack in New Orleans. With a potent mix of action, romance and some mind-bending time travel concepts, Déjà Vu Complex plot can fall apart if examined too closelybut the action was so engaging that it almost didn’t matter. As agent Douglas Carlin did everything in his power to stop an attack that had already happened, tensions grew as the life of the woman he loved was also at risk.
It’s easy to criticize Déjà Vu as an absurdist action sci-fi, but its commitment to pure entertainment is to be commended, and Washington was great in the lead role. With epic set pieces and a laudable attempt to ground its premise in some real-world science, the film’s pontification on the true nature of the passage of time gave it more depth than its action-packed premise suggested. Filmed on location following the devastating destruction of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Déjà Vu was criticized (via NY Times) for the representation of decimated communities in the background of the shots.
6
The Equalizer (2014)
Denzel Washington as Robert McCall
Although Denzel Washington has generally avoided franchises and sequels throughout his career, he broke from that tradition with his role as Robert McCall in The equalizer. As the first in a trilogy of films that follows the former Navy and DIA officer reluctantly returning to action, The equalizer it was one of the most iconic roles in the latter part of Washington’s career. Despite having promised his late wife that he would retire as a DIA agent, the trafficking of a teenage girl by Russian mobsters spurred McCall to act once again in The equalizer.
As an elegantly violent film that proved Washington’s skill as an older action star, Ã la Liam Neeson in Taken, The equalizer It was a fascinating series for this acclaimed actor to choose to finally embrace the franchise’s films. This origin story introduced a protagonist with an unshakable moral compass, and it’s no surprise Washington made a point of continuing to tell McCall’s story. Although Washington stated that he was done with the character after the release of The equalizer 3 in 2023, director Antoine Fuqua has expressed interest (via electronic warfare) when making another installment with Washington.
5
American Gangster (2007)
Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas
As one of Denzel Washington’s defining roles, real-life drug lord Frank Lucas in American gangster It was a fascinating role that perfectly balanced the actor’s unique skills for strong characterization and sly intimidation. Washington really came into his own in this epic game of cat and mouse, directed by Ridley Scott, which also starred Russell Crowe as Newark detective Richard Roberts, who was determined to take him down. Washington’s performance echoed the menacing presence of his other rolesas Alonzo Harris, as he brought a steely determination to the character.
American gangster was one of the best crime films of the 2000s, one that felt simultaneously like an epic throwback to classics from earlier eras and a modern exploration of social and political criminal behavior. Lucas’s true crime of smuggling heroin onto planes containing the bodies of deceased Vietnam soldiers was the perfect metaphor for the sinister criminal behavior this film’s themes opposed. As one of Washington’s most memorable roles American gangster It was exciting from start to finish.
4
Man on Fire (2004)
Denzel Washington as John W. Creasy
man on fire was the second of Denzel Washington’s five feature films with director Tony Scott. With Washington as John W. Creasy, a retired CIA agent on a revenge mission after the cartel attacked the family he swore to protect, this was an action-packed, violence-packed story that also boasted a poignant and moving story. man on fire featured Washington alongside his nine-year-old co-star Dakota Fanning, whose gifted performance contributed to the emotional nature of this film.
As a vigilante justice story set amid a kidnapping in Mexico City, man on fire it was one of Washington’s most intense cinematic performances. Although in the hands of another actor, the zealous cruelty with which Washington seeks justice might have seemed melodramatic, Washington truly harnessed the emotional weight of this story and made it a truly unforgettable thriller. man on fire was a successful adaptation of a 1980 novel by AJ Quinnell this really worked.
3
Crimson Tide (1995)
Denzel Washington as Lieutenant Commander Ron Hunter
Crimson Tide was Denzel Washington’s first collaboration with Tony Scott and saw him star alongside screen legend Gene Hackman. This epic story told of a conflict between two U.S. Marines on a nuclear submarine during a nuclear standoff with Russia and was a gripping and moving film, made all the more extraordinary by strong performances and a sharp script by Michael Schifferm with Quentin Tarantino’s uncredited contributions. Washington played the role of second-in-command to Hackman as tension continued to rise, as their disagreement could have dire effects on a potential attack on the United States and Japan.
The story of mutiny and standoffs in Crimson Tide combined Scott’s unique brand of action and suspense with Washington’s unparalleled performance skills. Echoing Cold War nuclear tensions and the Cuban missile crisis, Crimson Tide it was a thrilling affair that signaled the culmination of Scott’s incredible filmography. As a fun and thought-provoking war film, Crimson Tide presented everyone involved at the top of their game.
2
Inside Man (2006)
Denzel Washington as Detective Keith Frazier
The heist thriller Inner Man It is the highest-grossing film in director Spike Lee’s entire filmography and featured Denzel Washington in one of his best roles. As recently disgraced detective Keith Frazier, Washington’s character was determined to achieve justice when tasked with negotiating with the ringleader of a major Manhattan bank robbery. With a mastermind criminal (Clive Owen) convinced he’s pulled off the perfect heist, Inside Man was a smart genre film that builds thrillingly toward its epic conclusion.
With an all-star cast that also included Christopher Plummer, Jodie Foster, Willem Dafoe and Chiwetel Ejiofor, Inner Man proved Lee’s talent in major blockbuster crime filmsas many of his previous works were low-budget independent releases. With Washington’s star power at the helm, the many comebacks were all the more exciting due to the power of the performances.
1
Training Day (2001)
Denzel Washington as Det. Alonzo Harris
Denzel Washington’s Oscar-winning role as corrupt LAPD detective Alonzo Harris showed the actor at his most menacing and convincing. Training day told the story of ambitious LAPD rookie cop Jake Hoyt’s (Ethan Hawke) first day on the job as he quickly becomes embroiled in a world of corruption, deceit, intimidation and underhanded tactics. Like a brutal and exciting drama, Training day got to the heart of police corruption and the potential of those who exercise their power to commit transgressions.
Training day was a dark and gritty look at the complex world of drug enforcement, where those who aren’t careful can find themselves on the wrong side of the law, participating in the very things they were tasked to stop. With strong direction by Antoine Fuqua, Training day gave the world perhaps Washington’s greatest character in Alonzo Harris. As a smash creative success, Fuqua and Denzel Washington would continue to collaborate with each other in Equalizer series.
Sources: NY Times, electronic warfare