Denzel Washington – 10 Best Movies

By Vlad Zakh · August 15, 2026

Training Day is the one people reach for first, but Malcolm X and Glory show a controlled, dignified register instead of the explosive one, and Fences and Flight are the best evidence of his range in the last fifteen years. Training Day won him his second Oscar as one of modern cinema’s most quotable villains, Glory brought his first, and American Gangster is cold, controlled and commanding opposite Russell Crowe. The Hurricane, Philadelphia, Man on Fire and Remember the Titans round out the list.

Training Day (2001)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 74% Metacritic 71

A rookie cop's first day with a corrupt narcotics detective becomes a single, brutal test of loyalty.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua · 2h 02m · Rated R

Won 1 Oscar18 wins & 23 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus, TNT · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Malcolm X (1992)

TMDB ★ 7.7

Malcolm X's transformation from street hustler to one of the era's most influential and polarising leaders.

Directed by Spike Lee · 3h 22m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV, Starz Apple TV channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Glory (1989)

TMDB ★ 7.8

The first all-Black Union regiment fights for the Army's respect as hard as it fights the Confederacy.

Directed by Edward Zwick · 2h 02m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

American Gangster (2007)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 81% Metacritic 76

A Harlem drug lord builds his empire on a discipline the cops chasing him don't expect.

Directed by Ridley Scott · 2h 37m · Rated R

Nominated for 2 Oscars12 wins & 38 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Apple TV, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, YouTube TV, MGM Plus · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Fences (2016)

TMDB ★ 7.2

Denzel Washington gives a stage-to-screen performance with enormous weight behind every line.

Directed by Denzel Washington · 2h 19m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Paramount Plus Essential · Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Hurricane (1999)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A wrongly convicted boxer's decades-long fight for exoneration is helped by a devoted group of supporters.

Directed by Norman Jewison · 2h 26m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Starz Apple TV channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Man on Fire (2004)

IMDb ★ 7.7 RT 39% Metacritic 47

A burned-out bodyguard's bond with the girl he's hired to protect turns into a brutal revenge mission.

Directed by Tony Scott · 2h 26m · Rated R

1 win & 7 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV, Starz Apple TV channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Philadelphia (1993)

IMDb ★ 7.7 RT 81% Metacritic 66

A lawyer fired for having AIDS sues his old firm with the help of a reluctant, homophobic attorney.

Directed by Jonathan Demme · 2h 06m · Rated PG-13

Won 2 Oscars21 wins & 23 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Flight (2012)

TMDB ★ 7.3

A troubled airline pilot's heroic emergency landing is overshadowed by an investigation into his substance abuse.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis · 2h 18m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Paramount Plus Essential, Starz Apple TV channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Remember the Titans (2000)

TMDB ★ 7.8

A newly integrated football team has to learn to function as a team before the season destroys them.

Directed by Boaz Yakin · 1h 53m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus, Hulu · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

Denzel Washington – 10 Best Movies

Training Day (2001)

Malcolm X (1992)

Glory (1989)

American Gangster (2007)

Fences (2016)

The Hurricane (1999)

Man on Fire (2004)

Philadelphia (1993)

Flight (2012)

Remember the Titans (2000)

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