Denzel Washington’s $269M Crime Thriller From Ridley Scott Is A Must-Watch On Netflix

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Denzel Washington is known for many popular films, but a recent Netflix release has become his highest-grossing leading role yet. Despite his reputation as one of the best actors of his generation, not all of his movies have been huge box office successes, which might be surprising given his fame and critical acclaim.

Denzel Washington’s first film, the 1981 comedy Carbon Copy, wasn’t successful when it came out. Later, his 1997 collaboration with Spike Lee, He Got Game, also didn’t perform well in theaters. While the success of their previous films together softened the blow, Washington would experience other box office failures throughout his career.

Denzel Washington’s early films as a director – including Antwone Fisher, The Great Debaters, and Fences – were well-received by both critics and audiences. However, his 2021 film, A Journal For Jordan, didn’t perform well. Despite this, Washington proved his box office appeal with the 2007 crime drama American Gangster, which was a major hit.

American Gangster Is Still Denzel Washington’s Most Successful Lead Role

Although Denzel Washington had starred in many successful films previously, American Gangster was a particularly significant achievement for him. Released in 2007 with a $100 million budget, the film about the life of Frank Lucas went on to earn an impressive $269 million. Critics also praised the movie, with many considering Washington’s performance as Lucas to be among his finest.

Inspired by a true story, the film American Gangster tells the tale of Lucas’s daring scheme to import heroin into the US using returning American military planes from the Vietnam War. Russell Crowe starred as Detective Richie Roberts, who pursued Lucas, and the movie also featured a strong supporting cast including Josh Brolin, Carla Gugino, Common, RZA, Norman Reedus, Ruby Dee, Idris Elba, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

While Tom Cruise’s film American Made covered similar ground years later, American Gangster proved more popular with audiences. By 2007, Denzel Washington had already won an Oscar for his portrayal of a powerful criminal in Training Day, though that movie earned $104 million at the box office. More recently, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2 performed well, but Washington had a smaller role in the 2024 sequel.

While Denzel Washington had success with films like the 1993 thrillers The Pelican Brief and the drama Philadelphia – both earning roughly the same amount as American Gangster when accounting for inflation – none of his earlier movies achieved the same level of box office success. Even his popular action films with director Tony Scott, Man on Fire and Déjà vu, didn’t reach $200 million in ticket sales.

American Gangster Is A Truly Great Gangster Movie

One reason American Gangster did so well is that it was a truly excellent gangster film. While a strong movie doesn’t always mean box office success – Denzel Washington’s earlier film Fallen, though underrated, wasn’t a hit – American Gangster definitely deserved its financial success.

Denzel Washington is outstanding as Lucas, a character who is charming, clever, friendly, and yet also intimidating. Russell Crowe perfectly complements him as the loud and troubled Roberts. Director Ridley Scott takes his time, allowing the supporting characters to develop, but the movie stays focused and exciting from beginning to end.

As a huge fan of gangster films, I remember everyone thinking the genre was over after the big hits like The Godfather trilogy, Scarface, and Goodfellas. It felt like those movies had said everything there was to say! Then The Sopranos wrapped up right around the time American Gangster came out, and it just seemed to confirm that the best gangster stories were now happening on TV, not in theaters.

For six years, viewers were captivated by Tony Soprano, a flawed suburban man sharing his problems with a therapist. It seemed unlikely anyone would care about a typical cops-and-mob story again. But American Gangster brought the genre back to life with its interesting historical setting, and it also pointed out a surprising pattern in what audiences were enjoying.

American Gangster’s Success Highlights Ridley Scott’s Weirdest Career Trend

The success of American Gangster clearly shows that Denzel Washington remains a huge draw for moviegoers, even after a couple of less successful films. Beyond that, the movie’s performance highlights that Ridley Scott’s crime films are often overlooked and deserve more recognition.

It’s no surprise that Ridley Scott’s films are so well-regarded, considering classics like Gladiator, Alien, and Blade Runner have had a huge impact on cinema. While matching the success of those iconic movies is a tall order for any film, many of his lesser-known but compelling works are actually crime dramas, including American Gangster, House of Gucci, Black Rain, and The Counselor.

Even well-known films like Thelma and Louise share this pattern. Despite being a major critical and commercial success, it’s surprisingly often left off lists of Ridley Scott’s most significant work. The same is true for American Gangster, which remains Denzel Washington’s highest-grossing film but isn’t generally considered one of Scott’s defining movies.

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2026-04-10 18:10