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The Best Denzel Washington Movies

Updated April 29, 2021 16.8k votes 3.1k voters 144.7k views53 items

List RulesVote up your favorite movies, regardless of critic reviews or how big the role was.

This is a list of the best Denzel Washington movies, ranked from best to worst. Denzel Washington's highest grossing movies have received a lot of accolades over the years, from critics and fans alike. It's Denzel! I mean... it's Denzel. The order of these top Denzel Washington movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Denzel Washington movies will be at the top of the list. What do you think is the greatest Denzel Washington movie of all time is? Think about it and vote!

If you think the best Denzel Washington role isn't at the top, then vote it up so it has the chance to become number one. The greatest Denzel Washington performances didn't necessarily come from the best movies, but in most cases they go hand in hand.

This list has everything from Remember the Titans to Training Day. That's just the tip of iceberg when it comes to the storied Denzel Washington filmography (or list of Denzel Washington movies).

"This list answers the questions, "What are the best Denzel Washington movies?" and "What are the greatest Denzel Washington roles of all time?"

Denzel Washington's best movies? Check out this Denzel Washington movie list for the answer.

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Man on Fire
Mickey Rourke, Denzel Washington
Character: John W. Creasy

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#2 of 14 14 Violent And Disturbing Movies That Star Kids Too Young To Watch Them#65 of 122 The Best Father-Daughter Movies
2
816
210
Training Day
Eva Mendes, Snoop Dogg
Character: Alonzo Harris

Awards: Best Actor (Academy Award, Golden Globe)

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#266 of 549 The Greatest Epic Movies Ever Made#95 of 451 The Best Movies For Guys
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536
112
The Book of Eli
Denzel Washington, Mila Kunis
Character: Eli

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#82 of 231 The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time#600 of 1,506 The Most Rewatchable Movies
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630
148
American Gangster
Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe
Character: Frank Lucas

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#11 of 123 The Best Mafia Films Of All Time#47 of 122 Great Movies That Place In The '60s
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648
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Remember the Titans
Hayden Panettiere, Ryan Gosling
Character: Herman Boone

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#54 of 109 The Best Disney Live-Action Movies#29 of 277 The Top Tearjerker Movies That Make Men Cry
6
528
66
The Equalizer
Denzel Washington, Chloë Grace Moretz
Character: Robert McCall

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#58 of 117 The Best Movies Based on TV Shows#6 of 124 The Best Assassin Movies
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461
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John Q
Denzel Washington, Robert Duvall
Character: John Q. Archibald

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#194 of 541 The Greatest Guilty Pleasure Movies#6 of 29 Powerful Movies About Sick & Dying Children
8
468
95
Flight
Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle
Character: William "Whip" Whitaker Sr.

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#105 of 139 The Best Movies You Never Want to Watch Again#32 of 47 40+ Great Drama Movies About Drugs and Addiction
9
438
95
Glory
Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington
Character: Private Silas Trip

Awards: Best Supporting Actor (Academy Award, Golden Globe)

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#2 of 28 Civil War Movies List#170 of 512 The Greatest Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
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388
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Crimson Tide
Denzel Washington, Viggo Mortensen
Character: Lt. Commander Ron Hunter

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#131 of 376 The 50+ Best War Movies Ever Made, Ranked#5 of 51 The Best Submarine Movies Of All Time

11
461
108
Malcolm X
Denzel Washington, Al Sharpton
Character: Malcom X

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#292 of 375 'Old' Movies Every Young Person Needs To Watch In Their Lifetime#74 of 102 The Best Black Romance Movies, Ranked
12
427
103
Inside Man
Jodie Foster, Denzel Washington
Character: Keith Frazier

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#17 of 38 The Best Movies Ever to Come Out in March#2 of 31 The Best Thriller Movies with a Hostage
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89
Déjà Vu
Denzel Washington, Val Kilmer
Character: Doug Carlin

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#19 of 49 The Very Best Movies About Hackers#58 of 135 The Most Confusing Movies Ever Made
14
318
84
The Hurricane
Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber
Character: Rubin Carter

Awards: Best Actor (Golden Globe)

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#26 of 82 The Best Movies Based on Non-Fiction Books#120 of 204 The Best Sports Movies Ever Made
15
425
103
Philadelphia
Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington
Character: Joe Miller

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#213 of 1,195 Every Oscar Winning Film Ever#104 of 440 Your Favorite Movies of the 1990s
16
300
73
The Pelican Brief
Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington
Character: Gray Grantham

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#20 of 38 The Best Movies Coming to Netflix in May 2021#201 of 333 The Best Political Films Ever Made
17
352
79
The Bone Collector
Angelina Jolie, Denzel Washington
Character: Lincoln Rhyme

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#19 of 247 The Best Whodunit Movies#3 of 14 14 '90s Movies That Tried (But Failed) To Launch Franchises
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305
83
Fallen
Denzel Washington, John Goodman
Character: Detective John Hobbes

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#382 of 720 The Best Horror Movies Of All Time#21 of 54 The Best Movies Where the Bad Guy Wins
19
278
73
Safe House
Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds
Character: Tobin Frost

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#17 of 90 The Greatest Movies About CIA Agents & Operatives#73 of 170 The Best Spy Movies
20
227
55
Antwone Fisher
Denzel Washington, Viola Davis
Character: Dr. Jerome Davenport

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#17 of 40 The Most Inspirational Black Movies#30 of 134 The Best Directorial Debuts Of Famous Actors

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The Taking of Pelham 123
John Travolta, Denzel Washington
Character: Walter Garber

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#552 of 666 The Best Black Movies Ever Made, Ranked#1 of 14 Movie Reboots That Tried To Tell The Same Story With One MASSIVE Change
22
244
74
Courage Under Fire
Meg Ryan, Matt Damon
Character: Lt. Colonel Nathaniel Serling

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#429 of 782 The Greatest Chick Flicks Ever Made#114 of 207 The Best Historical Drama Movies Of All Time
23
225
62
Out of Time
Eva Mendes, Denzel Washington
Character: Matt Lee Whitlock

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#3 of 10 The Best Police Movies Streaming on Hulu#43 of 142 The Best Mystery Thriller Movies
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267
84
Unstoppable
Denzel Washington, Rosario Dawson
Character: Frank Barnes

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#28 of 54 The Best Movies "Loosely" Based on True Stories#41 of 70 25+ Great Movies That Have a Ticking Clock
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200
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The Manchurian Candidate
Meryl Streep, Liev Schreiber
Character: Maj. Ben Marco

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#6 of 10 The Best Movies About the Gulf War#101 of 140 The Greatest Movie Remakes of All Time