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Thespian Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. began his career on stage, acting in off-Broadway productions. Getting his break on the NBC drama series ‘St. Elsewhere,’ he went on to have an illustrious film career, winning critical acclaim and accolades for films such as ‘A Soldier’s Story,’ ‘Glory,’ ‘Training Day,’ ‘Cry Freedom,’ ‘Malcolm X,’ and ‘Fences.’ Denzel has also starred in an exhaustive list of commercial films, which include the likes of ‘The Pelican Brief,’ ‘Crimson Tide,’ ‘Remember the Titans,’ ‘Inside Man,’ ‘American Gangster,’ ‘Safe House,’ and ‘The Equalizer’ trilogy.
Over the years, he has also served as the producer and director in many projects, and has continued to appear on stage. In addition to numerous awards won over the decades, Denzel has been honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2016, the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2019, the Honorary Palme d’Or in 2025, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2025. If you’re preparing to dive into Denzel Washington‘s work on Netflix, the following list will help guide you.
5. Fallen (1998)
In ‘Fallen,’ Washington stars as Philadelphia detective John Hobbes, who has just witnessed the execution of serial killer Edgar Reese (Elias Koteas), whom he put behind bars. However, evil is far from gone as John comes across murders that resemble those committed by Edgar. Soon, he finds out that it is a demon called Azadel that is responsible for the crimes and is taunting him. With help from a woman named Gretta Milano (Embeth Davidtz), whose dead father was also a detective who investigated such supernatural deaths, Hobbs tries to defeat the fallen angel. Is that even possible? Can a human defeat an occult entity? Directed by Gregory Hoblit, ‘Fallen’ can be streamed right here.
4. Hard Lessons (1986)
Originally titled ‘The George McKenna Story,’ Eric Laneuville’s ‘Hard Lessons’ is a biographical film that chronicles the experiences of George McKenna (Denzel Washington) as he takes on the job of a principal at George Washington Preparatory High School in South Los Angeles. It becomes a career-defining moment for him, as he faces students who care for nothing, and teachers and parents who cannot be bothered. With the help of educator Bobbie Maxwell (Lynn Whitfield), George embarks on a mission to transform the school from a site for gang wars to a reputable place of learning. Watch the film on Netflix.
3. Inside Man (2006)
‘Inside Man,’ directed by Spike Lee, opens with criminal mastermind Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) setting out to pull off the perfect bank robbery at Wall Street. When it devolves into a hostage situation, Detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington), the hostage negotiator for the NYPD, arrives at the scene. His work is hindered by Madeleine White (Jodie Foster), a fixer working for the bank’s founder, Arthur Case (Christopher Plummer), who wishes to have all efforts of law enforcement focused on protecting his safe deposit box. A gripping heist drama with brilliant performances, ‘Inside Man’ can be streamed right here.
2. 2 Guns (2013)
Adapted from Steven Grant and Mateus Santolouco’s eponymous comic book series, ‘2 Guns’ directed by Baltasar Kormákur follows DEA Special Agent Robert Trench (Denzel Washington) and US Navy SEAL Michael Stigman (Mark Wahlberg). They come across each other while both are undercover as hardened criminals and rob a bank together. The said bank belongs to Mexican drug lord Manny “Papi” Greco, and the duo is left stunned by the massive amount of cash that they find. After they discover each other’s real identities, they team up once again as the underworld comes calling for the money. You can watch the buddy-cop action-comedy here.
1. The Hurricane (1999)
Norman Jewison’s ‘The Hurricane’ is a biopic based on the life of middleweight boxer Rubin “The Hurricane” Carter (Washington), who was wrongfully convicted of triple murder and given life imprisonment in 1966, and was released over 18 years later following a habeas corpus petition. The film shows Carter’s time in prison as he maintains his innocence and writes a book about his experience of being subjected to racial prejudice. Meanwhile, a boy named Lesra Martin gets his hands on Carter’s published book and, along with his foster family, joins Carter’s legal team to help him get justice and freedom. With yet another brilliant performance by Washington, who won a Golden Globe for it and an Oscar nomination, ‘The Hurricane’ is a must-watch for biopic fans. It can be streamed here.
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