Denzel Washington Action Thriller Dominates Netflix Streaming Charts

Denzel Washington is the last actor you would expect to take on the mantle of an action hero, but that changed with the 2014 debut of The Equalizer. Washington stars as Robert McCall, a former Marine trying to build a new life. Things get complicated when a friend of his is hurt, leading him to dispatch scores of criminals with brutal efficiency. The Equalizer launched one of the most underrated modern action franchises, and recent news that the series might return has sent one installment surging on streaming.

That installment is The Equalizer 3, which is currently available to stream internationally on Netflix. The Equalizer 3 follows McCall as he travels to Italy, where he finds peace in the small town of Altamonte. That peace is disturbed by a local mafia that has been terrorizing the citizens of Altamonte, forcing McCall to put his special set of skills to use. Action fans cannot get enough of The Equalizer 3, as it has landed a spot on Netflix’s Global Top 10 list of movies, according to Tudum. It is well deserved, as this might be the most compelling Equalizer movie.

‘The Equalizer 3’ is a cross between an action movie and a slasher flick

What sets The Equalizer 3 apart from its predecessors is director Antoine Fuqua’s approach to action. The first two Equalizer movies were straightforward revenge thrillers, but this movie positions McCall as an unstoppable force of nature. Case in point: the opening sequence shows him traveling to a crime lord’s vineyard and quickly dispatching the criminals surrounding him. One thug gets a gun barrel shoved into his eye, while another has half his face blown off. Things only get more graphic from there, punctuated by Washington’s performance.

During these sequences, McCall never speaks. Instead, he coldly dispatches his foes with brutal efficiency, leaving sprays of blood and a trail of bodies. This sharply contrasts with how he interacts with other characters, particularly CIA operative Emma Collins (Dakota Fanning). The back-and-forth between McCall and Collins adds surprising levity to an otherwise grim narrative. It also serves as a full-circle moment, as Washington and Fanning previously worked together on his first foray into the action genre with 2004’s Man on Fire.

‘The Equalizer 3’ isn’t the end of Robert McCall’s story

The Equalizer 3 was meant to be the final installment of a trilogy, and it certainly ends on a perfect note. However, action fans have not seen the last of Robert McCall, as Denzel Washington told Esquire that two more Equalizer movies are in the works. He also said he loves making the Equalizer movies as much as audiences love watching them.

“More people are happy about that — people love those daggone Equalizers. But I’ve come to realize that the Equalizer films are for me, too, because they’re for the people. They want me to go get the bad guys. ‘We can’t get them, so you go get them.’ And I say, Okay, I’ll get them! Just wait right there. I’ll be right back!”

Judging from how The Equalizer 3 is blowing up on streaming charts worldwide, Washington’s words hold merit. Now that The Equalizer 4 and The Equalizer 5 are in the works, only two questions remain: will Washington reunite with Antoine Fuqua, and how creative will the violence get?

Source: Polygon