With the release of his recent directorial feature, Denzel Washington officially asserts himself as a film director. In his prior three directorial credits, Washington also played a substantial acting role, but in late 2021’s A Journal For Jordan, he is solely a film director for the first time. Celebrate 20 years of Washington telling Black stories by streaming his four films today!
Watch on Cinemax Go
Antwone Fisher tells the true story of the author of the film’s screenplay, a man who has survived abuse and loneliness as a foster child and orients himself with the help of a Navy psychiatrist. The debuting director and screenwriter add to the film's charm, the details of which tragically heighten knowing this is an autobiographical account.
Worth watching? - 7/10
Watch on Tubi / Roku
The Great Debaters is inspired by the true story of a debate coach who coaxes out the abilities of a small East Texas college team. Washington and Forest Whitaker shine together on screen, proving that following a traditional story formula can still allow those who bring the story to life to showcase their talents.
Worth watching? - 8/10
Rental Only
A simple yet cinematically vital adaption of the 1985 play, which details 1950s Pittsburg and the evolving race relations of Black families and baseball. Fences is the most critically and commercially successful of these films, receiving four Oscar nominations and often ranked among the best films of 2016.
Worth watching? - 8/10
Rental Only
Michael B. Jordan plays Sergeant King, who, when deployed to Iraq in the early 2000s, receives a journal from his girlfriend to write down the life lessons he wants to share with his newborn son. Though A Journal For Jordan is Washington’s weakest film so far and a box office failure, this film is a solid tear-jerker that leaves you with a good message about family.
Worth watching? - 6/10
Though these are not the most convenient viewing options, all of these films are worth the time to appreciate Washington’s filmmaking abilities.