# Denzel Washington's best movies

Two Oscars and barely a dud: Denzel's best films, ordered from Looper, Gold Derby and Metacritic, from Glory to The Tragedy of Macbeth.

- 325 votes · 15 items
- Aug 20, 2025 · Harsh Iyer
- https://even.best/en/l/3950/denzel-washington-s-best-movies

## Top 15

1. **Glory (1989)** (31 · ▲34 ▼3) — A Black Union regiment in the Civil War; his first Oscar.
2. **Training Day (2001)** (25 · ▲29 ▼4) — Corrupt detective Alonzo Harris; Best Actor Oscar.
3. **Inside Man (2006)** (17 · ▲20 ▼3) — A bank hostage standoff, from Spike Lee.
4. **Philadelphia (1993)** (15 · ▲21 ▼6) — The lawyer who takes Tom Hanks's case.
5. **Malcolm X (1992)** (15 · ▲20 ▼5) — Spike Lee's biopic.
6. **Fences (2016)** (15 · ▲19 ▼4) — August Wilson's play, also directed by Denzel.
7. **American Gangster (2007)** (12 · ▲15 ▼3) — Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas.
8. **Remember the Titans (2000)** (12 · ▲15 ▼3) — A desegregated high-school football team.
9. **Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)** (12 · ▲15 ▼3) — Easy Rawlins in 1940s Los Angeles.
10. **Courage Under Fire (1996)** (8 · ▲11 ▼3) — An officer investigates a Gulf War medal case.
11. **Flight (2012)** (8 · ▲11 ▼3) — A pilot hiding his addiction.
12. **The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)** (7 · ▲10 ▼3) — Joel Coen's black-and-white Shakespeare.
13. **The Hurricane (1999)** (6 · ▲16 ▼10) — Boxer Rubin Carter.
14. **Crimson Tide (1995)** (6 · ▲13 ▼7) — A nuclear-submarine standoff with Gene Hackman.
15. **Man on Fire (2004)** (6 · ▲11 ▼5) — His best pure action film.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.