The Queue

In honor of his latest film “Highest 2 Lowest” on AppleTV+, a round-up of Denzel Washington’s best films and where to stream them.

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Streaming companies like Netflix and Apple TV+ rarely let their original movies hit theaters. When they do, it’s usually thanks to an A-list star (like Brad Pitt in “F1”) or marquee director (like Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman”).

With Apple’s new movie “Highest 2 Lowest,” directed by Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington, the tech giant has both.

“Highest 2 Lowest” will only be in theaters for two weeks before coming to Apple TV+ on Sept. 5. But if you can find time before Labor Day weekend, it’s definitely worth the price of admission thanks to two massive talents teaming up for the first time since 2006’s “Inside Man.” 

All five of Lee and Washington’s collaborations are worth watching (the other three are “Mo’ Better Blues,” “Malcolm X,” and “He Got Game”) but unfortunately none of them are available on a major streaming service. Instead, here are five Denzel Washington movies — one from each decade he has worked in Hollywood — streaming right now.

5 of the best Denzel Washington movies streaming now

“Glory” (1989): Recently featured in our Massachusetts Movie Madness bracket, this Civil War drama about the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment focuses on the exploits of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick), but it’s Washington — in an Oscar-winning performance as Private Trip — who steals the show. (The Roku Channel)

“Philadelphia” (1993): Tom Hanks rightfully won the Oscar as an AIDS patient wrongfully dismissed from his law firm, but Washington’s personal injury lawyer Joe Miller gets plenty of scene-stealing moments as well. (Pluto TV)

“Training Day” (2001): Washington could’ve won a Best Actor Oscar three or four times in the ‘90s, but after getting shut out in one of his strongest decades, the Academy made up for it when Washington played iconoclastic LAPD cop Alonzo Harris, dragging up-and-comer Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) into the murkiest depths of corruption over a tense 24 hours. (MGM+) 

“Flight” (2012): As pilot William “Whip” Whitaker, Washington’s otherworldly charisma is a mask that hides his debilitating addiction, even when testifying about miraculously landing an out-of-control plane. (Paramount+)

“The Tragedy of Macbeth” (2021): Washington’s most recent Oscar nomination finds him playing one of literature’s most well-known tragic figures in this black-and-white Coen Brothers adaptation that flew under the radar during the pandemic. (Apple TV+)

Play or Skip

Have a show you can’t stop watching? Email me about it at [email protected], and your recommendation may appear in a future edition of The Queue.

Press play on these movies and shows:

“Alien: Earth” (Season 1): Noah Hawley proved with “Fargo” that he can capably adapt classic films for the small screen, and he does so again with this ambitious series set two years before Ridley Scott’s original 1979 film (also streaming on Hulu). Sydney Chandler (“Sugar”) plays the first-ever “hybrid” (a synthetic being implanted with a human consciousness), while “Justified” star Timothy Olyphant plays her trainer and mentor. (Hulu)

“Chief of War” (Season 1): Jason Momoa’s passion project about late-18th century Hawaii lets him meld the best parts of his most notable roles (“Game of Thrones,” “Aquaman,” “Dune”) into one character. Playing the mighty warrior Kaʻiana, Momoa is quick with a smirk and a spear, but he also recognizes the grave danger presented by both rival tribes and white colonists. (Apple TV+)

“High and Low” (1963): Before you head to theaters for Spike Lee and Denzel Washington’s new movie “Highest 2 Lowest” (read my full review here), watch the Akira Kurosawa classic that inspired it. The film stars Toshiro Mifune (“Seven Samurai”) as a Japanese businessman trying to save his company who is faced with a dilemma when kidnappers mistakenly snatch his chauffeur’s son instead of his own and hold him for ransom. (HBO Max)

But go ahead and skip these:

“Fixed” (2025): Genndy Tartakovsky is the rare animator with an auteurist streak, helming distinctive and critically acclaimed projects like “Samurai Jack” (streaming on HBO Max) and “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” (streaming on Disney+). The director clearly fulfilled his creative vision with this raunchy, largely unfunny R-rated comedy about horny, genital-obsessed dogs, but the end result shows that even the brightest minds shouldn’t necessarily be let totally off the leash. (Netflix)

“The Rainmaker” (Season 1): A word to the wise: Go back and watch Matt Damon in the 1997 movie adaptation of John Grisham’s legal drama (streaming on Paramount+) rather than wasting your time on the dull, labored, ten-part remake arriving in a slow weekly drip on Peacock. (Peacock)

End Credits

That’s a wrap on this edition of The Queue. If you’re a fan, please consider recommending this newsletter to your friends.

Until next time, good stream hunting, everyone!

— Kevin

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