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The Equalizer

R Released Sep 26, 2014 2h 12m Action Mystery & Thriller TRAILER for List
61% Tomatometer 206 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Robert McCall (Denzel Washington), a man of mysterious origin who believes he has put the past behind him, dedicates himself to creating a quiet new life. However, when he meets Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a teenager who has been manhandled by violent Russian mobsters, he simply cannot walk away. With his set of formidable skills, McCall comes out of self-imposed retirement and emerges as an avenging angel, ready to take down anyone who brutalizes the helpless.
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The Equalizer

The Equalizer

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Critics Consensus

The Equalizer is more stylishly violent than meaningful, but with Antoine Fuqua behind the cameras and Denzel Washington dispensing justice, it delivers.

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Critics Reviews

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Shadow and Act Staff Shadow and Act The film is worth seeing to watch Denzel deliver his trademark slow burn gaze. Rated: 3.5/5 Sep 14, 2022 Full Review Dwight Brown National Newspaper Publishers Association This paint-by-numbers film, though powerful when you watch it, largely thanks to its lead actor, has no lasting emotional affect. Mar 7, 2017 Full Review Katie Kilkenny The Atlantic The movie's all about reading, especially with a critical eye, but when you take too close a look at its disparate parts, they neither add up nor have anything constructive to teach. Jul 19, 2016 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy The Equalizer is about as subtle as a pneumatic stapler shot to the temple. But who wants subtlety when one can bask in the glory of Denzel obliterating remorseless degenerates left and right? Rated: 3/4 Nov 25, 2023 Full Review Sebastian Zavala Kahn Me gusta el cine Washington shines, playing McCall as a clean and orderly man, whose OCD doesn't prevent him from getting his hands dirty with the blood and grime of Boston's most rotten. He is a killing machine that almost never fails. Full review in Spanish. Rated: 4/5 Oct 17, 2023 Full Review Ruth Maramis FlixChatter Film Blog Denzel’s immense gravitas and quiet power elevate this beyond a run-of-the-mill violent action thriller. Rated: 3.5/5 Sep 1, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Kevin R It’s like Sherlock Holmes meets John Wick with a hint of the Accountant. Best of all there is compassion and a will to do good. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/03/24 Full Review Fabrícia F Um filme de ação que consegue surtir originalidade dentre tantos do gênero. Denzel Washington traz uma sensibilidade humana e convincente ao protagonista durão da obra, humanizando o justiceiro de maneira inteligente e muito perspicaz. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/09/24 Full Review Sebastian L The Equalizer starts off decent enough but slowly turns into The Tranquilizer. It does a pretty good job establishing the relationship between Washington and Moretz but then strangely takes off in another direction. The incompetent scriptwriting and directing slowly makes you loose interest until you fastforward through one of the worst third acts known to man. At least it looks pretty good in the meantime. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 09/15/24 Full Review Sams K Badass, a bit unrealistic but who fucking cares. Washing gives a stunning performance! It's really good and entertaining. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/10/24 Full Review Jordy M McCall, a sinister man with habits bordering on perfectionism, often has tea at a restaurant, where he meets a young woman named Teri. Each night, she dresses differently, until one evening they have a deeper conversation about dreams and aspirations. However, everything changes when a man beats her and drags her into a car. Shortly after, she ends up in a hospital. McCall then tracks down the man and kills him along with his entire crew. This sets off a chain of events, leading to the arrival of Teddy, a Russian hitman who seeks revenge. Teddy’s arrival triggers a series of violent events, including the murder of Mandy, McCall turning in Masters and exposing the entire Russian mafia, along with their money and financial dealings. In the end, Teddy takes over McCall’s workplace in an attempt to kill him, but his plan backfires, and McCall eliminates all of them. In short, this film stands out solely for the work of the cinematographer, who—at times—delivers shots with excellent composition, though some close-ups are completely unnecessary. The performances of Denzel and Chloë are dreadful, the premise itself is clichéd, the plot lacks any complexity, the pacing is uneven, and the conclusion is unsatisfying. Overall, it's a disappointing film, though nothing more should have been expected. After all, it's just another action movie that prides itself on portraying a soldier who kills with visceral precision, without blinking—but that's all it has to offer. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/06/24 Full Review Jason Loves W First time I go to watch this movie and I didn't know any details of the movie or expect something just want to see Denzel Washington after watching this movie it surprisedly very good action-thriller movie. This movie is slow burn but when the climax come the runtime doesn't matter. I enjoy watching Robert McCall go to kill Russian gangster. Denzel look awesome in this role. He brings new badass action hero similar beside Liam Neeson's Taken and Keanu Reeves's John Wick films. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/26/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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The Equalizer

The Equalizer: Official Clip - Head of the Snake The Equalizer: Official Clip - Head of the Snake 2:07 The Equalizer: Official Clip - A New Start The Equalizer: Official Clip - A New Start 2:47 The Equalizer: Official Clip - Evening Tea The Equalizer: Official Clip - Evening Tea 2:54 The Equalizer: Official Clip - Her Life Will Go On The Equalizer: Official Clip - Her Life Will Go On 1:30 The Equalizer: Official Clip - Pay It Back The Equalizer: Official Clip - Pay It Back 2:58 The Equalizer: Official Clip - Brick by Brick The Equalizer: Official Clip - Brick by Brick 4:48 The Equalizer: Official Clip - Deadly Diner Patron The Equalizer: Official Clip - Deadly Diner Patron 2:29 The Equalizer: Official Clip - Disrespect the Badge The Equalizer: Official Clip - Disrespect the Badge 3:15 The Equalizer: Official Clip - Just Kinda Lost The Equalizer: Official Clip - Just Kinda Lost 3:26 The Equalizer: Official Clip - Walking Terri Home The Equalizer: Official Clip - Walking Terri Home 1:58 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Robert McCall (Denzel Washington), a man of mysterious origin who believes he has put the past behind him, dedicates himself to creating a quiet new life. However, when he meets Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a teenager who has been manhandled by violent Russian mobsters, he simply cannot walk away. With his set of formidable skills, McCall comes out of self-imposed retirement and emerges as an avenging angel, ready to take down anyone who brutalizes the helpless.
Director
Antoine Fuqua
Producer
Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Denzel Washington, Alex Siskin, Steve Tisch, Mace Neufeld, Tony Eldridge, Michael Sloan
Screenwriter
Richard Wenk
Distributor
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co
Escape Artists, Zhiv, Mace Neufeld Productions
Rating
R (Some Sexual References|Language Throughout|Strong Bloody Violence)
Genre
Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 26, 2014, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 28, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$101.5M
Runtime
2h 12m
Sound Mix
Datasat, Dolby Digital
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