20 Years Ago, Denzel Washington’s Most Underrated Movie Was Released

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Denzel Washington is one of the most admired actors in the industry. He first gained major recognition with his Academy Award win for 1989’s Glory, followed by another Oscar for Training Day in 2001. He’s delivered countless iconic performances in films like American Gangster, Fences, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Malcolm X, Man on Fire, and Remember the Titans. Because he has such a strong filmography, some of his movies haven’t gotten the attention they deserve, meaning there are several underrated gems in his body of work.

In a lot of ways, his most underrated film ever is Inside Man. Released in 2006, Inside Man was a modest hit, grossing over $180 million on a budget of around $60 million. The movie sees Washington joined by talented actors like Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Christopher Plummer. It also marks another collaboration between Washington and director Spike Lee, marking their fourth time working together. Despite all those positives, there are still a lot of people who don’t bring up Inside Man when discussing Washington’s greatest films.

Twenty years after its release, Inside Man is now widely recognized as a standout film of its time. With strong acting, a captivating story, and clever twists, it’s considered one of Denzel Washington’s best – and most overlooked – movies.

Inside Man Is One Of The Best Heist Movies Ever

At its core, Inside Man is a thrilling heist film. It follows Detective Keith Frazier, played by Denzel Washington, as he tries to negotiate with Dalton Russell (Clive Owen), the mastermind behind a New York City bank robbery. Their conversations are packed with suspense and mystery. What makes the story truly captivating is that Russell claims to have executed the perfect crime, but the police find no money missing, leaving everyone wondering what’s really going on.

What makes Inside Man stand out from other heist films is its captivating mystery. The plot keeps you guessing until the very end, and it’s completely absorbing. Denzel Washington delivers a fantastic performance as the robbery’s mastermind, and Chiwetel Ejiofor is excellent as his partner. Jodie Foster adds a compelling dynamic as a powerful negotiator, creating tense moments with Washington’s character, and Christopher Plummer appears with a secret motive that ties everything together.

This film is a standout achievement in its genre and ranks among Spike Lee’s best work.

Denzel Washington’s Performance Is Underrated

Denzel Washington is known for his consistently excellent work in film, and he’s considered one of the greatest actors of all time. While Inside Man is a solid movie, it’s not one you’d necessarily expect a standout performance from him in. It lacks the deep emotional impact of films like Fences or Glory, and it didn’t receive the same award recognition as movies like The Tragedy of Macbeth or Roman J. Israel, Esq. Despite this, Washington gives a strong performance that, like the film itself, doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

Keith Frazier is a police officer with a troubled past. A previous scandal hangs over him, and he’s determined to overcome it while negotiating a difficult heist – all to earn a long-deserved promotion. Denzel Washington was given the choice between playing Frazier or another character, Russell, and he chose Frazier, indicating his strong connection to the role.

Inside Man Compared To Other Denzel & Spike Lee Collaborations

When Denzel Washington and Spike Lee collaborate, the results are consistently outstanding – they’re considered one of the greatest director-actor pairings in film history. They stand alongside iconic duos like Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro (or Leonardo DiCaprio), Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, and Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan. Over the years, they’ve created five films together, including Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, He Got Game, Inside Man, and Highest 2 Lowest.

These films are all well-crafted and generally well-received. Mo’ Better Blues is particularly enjoyable, though it shows Lee was still developing his style at the time. He Got Game stands out as one of the best sports movies from the 1990s, and features a powerful performance from Washington alongside a real NBA player. Their most recent film together, Highest 2 Lowest, got somewhat mixed reactions, but is still a good watch. While Inside Man is a strong film, it doesn’t quite reach the same heights as their earlier work on Malcolm X.

Denzel Washington’s performance as the historical figure was widely considered Oscar-worthy. Despite its nearly three-and-a-half-hour runtime, the film remains consistently engaging, largely due to Washington’s acting and Spike Lee’s direction.

There’s A Forgotten Sequel To Inside Man

Despite being a fantastic film, Inside Man doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. Though a sequel was talked about as early as 2006, it faced many obstacles and never materialized. There were multiple script rewrites and abandoned ideas, ultimately leading to the official cancellation of Inside Man 2 in 2011. Surprisingly, a sequel was eventually made after all.

The movie Inside Man: Most Wanted is technically a sequel, but it feels pretty disconnected from the original. It was released directly to video and on Netflix, with little connection to the first Inside Man film. While it doesn’t compare to the original, it’s still a good heist thriller on its own merits. It has a 61% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is worth watching if you can enjoy it as a standalone film.

There’s a TV series called Inside Man that became popular on Netflix, featuring David Tennant and Stanley Tucci. Though it’s unrelated to the original movie, the series was a hit and attracted a large audience. Most people agree that the 2006 film, starring Denzel Washington, remains the best version of Inside Man.

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2026-05-21 15:20