Glory 1989
One of the two supporting roles (with Cry Freedom) that launched him as a movie star; won his first Oscar.
The Big Picture · Discussion · Review · Top Five
Top Five Denzel Washington Movies and ‘The Little Things’
January 29, 2021/ 91 min/ Sean Fennessey · Amanda Dobbins
Sean, Amanda, and guest Shay Serrano trace Denzel Washington's career from St. Elsewhere to movie stardom, argue about his so-called bad movies, review The Little Things, and rank their five favorites.
36 films across 7 segments.
AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.
The case for the greatest living actorbio, versatility, and what makes him Denzel
Cry Freedom 1987
Played Steve Biko; the other launching-pad supporting role.
Fences 2016
Cited as one of the rare times a co-star (Viola Davis) could go toe-to-toe with him on screen.
Fallen 1998
Should be a total stinker (Denzel versus a demon) and he sells it anyway.
Roman J. Israel, Esq. 2017
A character piece the hosts call transformative but still recognizably Denzel.
He Got Game 1998
The basketball scenes double as proof he really played at Fordham under P.J. Carlesimo.
The so-called bad Denzel moviesthe mid-budget programmers he never phones in
The Bone Collector 1999
Sean caught up with it for this episode.
Virtuosity 1995
Shay's contrarian pick; Amanda calls it almost unwatchable.
2 Guns 2013
Sean's uncle told everyone it was the best movie he'd ever seen.
Safe House 2012
Sean watched it the day he moved to LA; still never bored despite calling it bad.
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 2009
Amanda watched it over the weekend testing the theory that any Denzel movie works.
Out of Time 2003
Shay's favorite: a ticking-clock thriller with Sanaa Lathan.
The Book of Eli 2010
Called quality entertainment, not Oscar bait.
Courage Under Fire 1996
Same category: solid, not great.
John Q 2002
The hostage-drama tearjerker; Shay wanted it on his top five for the father-son scene alone.
The Little Thingsthe HBO Max release the episode is named for
The Little Things 2021
John Lee Hancock's 30-years-shelved serial killer script, with Rami Malek and Jared Leto. The hosts agree it's not good but stayed watchable start to finish, mostly on Denzel.
The Siege 1998
Reference point for placing his Little Things cop on the moral spectrum, alongside Training Day's Alonzo.
Shay Serrano's top five
Shay Serrano
Malcolm X 1992
No. 2: the best Denzel performance ever, even if it's not his single favorite movie of his.
Amanda Dobbins's top five
No. 1
Malcolm X 1992
No. 1: nearly swapped with Training Day, but the exhilaration of this one won out.
No. 5
Devil in a Blue Dress 1995
No. 5: Carl Franklin's Walter Mosley adaptation; called the movie L.A. Confidential thinks it is.
Sean Fennessey's top five
No. 1
Malcolm X 1992
No. 1: framed as a stand-in for the whole Denzel-Spike Lee run (Mo' Better Blues, He Got Game, and Inside Man included).
No. 2
Training Day 2001
No. 2: the one he saw in theaters multiple times just to watch crowds react to the ending.
No. 3
Philadelphia 1993
No. 3: Jonathan Demme's AIDS courtroom drama; Tom Hanks won the Oscar, but Denzel's evolving lawyer is the underrated half.
Honorable mentions
Mo' Better Blues 1990
One of the few Denzel movies with real romantic material.
Much Ado About Nothing 1993
The Kenneth Branagh Shakespeare comedy: a silly, likable side of Denzel.
American Gangster 2007
The one that couldn't live up to the Jay-Z listening session that preceded it.
The Manchurian Candidate 2004
His other Jonathan Demme collaboration; an overlooked, unusually dazed performance.
Also mentioned raised along the way
In passing A Perfect WorldThe Blind SideThe FounderFacing the GiantsSmokin' Aces
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV St. ElsewhereThe George McKenna Story
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