Megastar’s Ultraviolent Trilogy Is Action Perfection Now On HBO Max

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 11 seconds ago

It was one of the most reliable, successful trilogies of the last decade, and the only time Denzel Washington has starred in a sequel, or a threequel. All three of The Equalizer movies have arrived on HBO Max for your next binge. Even after countless “retired operative living a normal life forced to use his special skills” movies Washington’s take on Robert McCall stands out as among the best.

The Entire Equalizer Trilogy Is Near-Perfect Action

In 2014’s The Equalizer Robert McCall is quietly working at a hardware store by day, and reading books at a diner by night. That’s where he meets a teenage working girl, Teri (Chloe Grace Moretz), befriends her, and then goes on a campaign of revenge against the Russian mob after they beat her up. McCall has no qualms about killing in fun and inventive ways using what he has on hand in any situation leading to a wild third act that pays off the slow burn of his righteous anger. 

The second time around in 2018 McCall goes up against his old unit led by Dave York (the most generic name of any Pedro Pascal character). We learn why McCall is a killing machine and every detail of his tragic backstory as its exploited by York. The Equalizer II isn’t as fun as the first’s rampage of revenge against the Russians but it’s an incredible character study disguised as an action film. 

It all leads up to 2023’s The Equalizer 3. Denzel Washington is noticeably older and slower for this outing as McCall. Set in Italy, it’s a slow-paced story that gives you plenty of time to soak in the sights and sounds of Italy while McCall recovers from a gunshot wound. That doesn’t mean there isn’t the usual dose of violence, it’s there, but it’s expertly deployed for maximum impact. By now, Fuqua and Washington know exactly what they’re doing together. 

The Equalizer 3 is a treat for longtime Washington fans by reuniting him with Dakota Fanning, his Man on Fire co-star. 19 years after their first collaboration, Fanning plays a CIA agent hunting McCall. Given the very different relationship between their characters, and the two decades since they’ve been on screen, you’d think they wouldn’t have the same level of chemistry. Instead, as the entire Equalizer trilogy has, it’s aged like fine wine and each scene is a highlight of the movie.

Pound For Pound The Most Successful Franchise

Denzel Washington isn’t the first Equalizer, that would be Edward Woodward from the hit 80s series, and of course, Queen Latifah stepped in as Robyn McCall in CBS’ 2021 revival series. Both shows lack the violence of the movies, but they’re also good in their own ways. Amazingly, The Equalizer is one of the few franchises out there where every single entry has been a hit. 

Though each show aired for five seasons, there’s no denying that Denzel’s take on Robert McCall has been the best of them all. The movies slow down and become more philosophical as time goes on, but that’s a good thing, not a bad thing. Denzel never dials down the intensity and every single film has one or two moments that will become your new favorite. 

Every Equalizer movie is now streaming on HBO Max.

Queen Latifah’s 2021 series is streaming for free on Tubi.