Top 5 Denzel Washington Movies

Denzel Washington has had a long and storied film career, highlighted by many fantastic movies and roles along the way. He has played the powerful leading man in what seems like an innumerable collection of great movies and has racked up awards and recognition along the way. While it's hard to condense a film career that's approaching 25 years in the making, here are the best 5 Denzel Washington movie of all-time. Movies judged by overall film quality, entertainment and his role in the film.

The Top 5 Denzel Washington Movies of All-Time

5. Philadelphia - In this powerful award winner, Tom Hanks plays Andre Beckett, a gay lawyer suing his company over discrimination. He believes he was fired because he was gay and has AIDS. Beckett eventually obtains the services of Joe Miller, played by Washington. The homophobic Miller eventually comes around and sees the error of his ways, and makes some risky maneuvers in the court room to help win the case for his ailing client. Hanks took home the Best Actor Academy Award for his role as Beckett.

4. Remember the Titans - One of the better sports movies in recent memory, Remember the Titans tells the tale of a high school football team struggling with integration and racial tension. Washington plays Herman Boone, the new coach of the team who shakes things up and eventually gets his once broken up squad to act as a cohesive unit despite their differences. Even as most of the players change, some of the team, and many in the town do not, leading to repeated struggles for Boone, his family and the other coaches.

3. Fallen - In this overlooked thriller, Washington plays Detective John Hobbes, fresh off catching a notorious serial killer. With the killer dead, a new series of murders arise, perhaps copycatting the original. Soon though it becomes obvious that there are more supernatural forces at work, and Hobbes and his family get put into danger. Who can Hobbes trust for help and how can he solve this otherworldly mystery?

2. Crimson Tide - Starring alongside Gene Hackman, Washington plays Ron Hunter, the executive officer of a U.S. nuclear submarine. Hackman is the sub's long time captain, Frank Ramsey, who has a loyal crew that he has worked with for years. Orders come in to arm and launch nuclear weapons, however a follow up order gets garbled up in transmission. What did the message say and what should the crew do given what's at stake with such a task? The two leading officers battle it out and immerse the ship in their conflict in this nail biter.

1. Training Day - Denzel Washington plays Detective Alonzo Harris, a hardened and gritty street cop who does anything and everything in his power to get the job done, as well as get himself some perks along the way. Ethan Hawke plays Jake Hoyt, a young policeman looking to break into Harris's elite crew. Hoyt at first follows the lead of Alonzo, crossing a few lines along the way. However he soon unveils a side to Harris that he wished he hadn't as his life gets put into danger. Washington took home the Best Actor Academy Award, recognition as much for this role as some of his passed over appearances in movies such as Malcolm X.