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Rarely do streaming services like Netflix and Apple TV+ release their own films in theaters. When they do, it’s typically because of a big-name filmmaker (Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman) or A-list celebrity (Brad Pitt in Formula One).
The IT company has both with its latest film, Highest 2 Lowest, which was directed by Spike Lee and starred Denzel Washington.
Before arriving on Apple TV+ at a later date, Highest 2 Lowest will only be available in cinemas for two weeks. But, with two enormous talents joining forces for the first time since 2006’s Inside Man, it’s well worth the entry fee if you can find the time before Labor Day weekend.
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Highest 2 Lowest is Denzel Washington at his best
Although all five of Lee and Washington’s collaborations are worth seeing (the other three being He Got Game, Malcolm X, and Mo Better Blues), none of them are sadly accessible on any of the big streaming services. Here are five Denzel Washington films that are currently available for streaming, one from each of the ten years that he has worked in Hollywood.
5 of the best Denzel Washington movies streaming now
Glory (1989): This Civil War drama about the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, which was recently included in our Massachusetts Movie Madness bracket, centers on the adventures of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick). However, Washington’s Oscar-winning performance as Private Trip steals the show.(The Roku Channel)
Philadelphia (1993): Tom Hanks earned the Oscar for his portrayal of an AIDS patient who was wrongly fired from his legal practice, but Joe Miller, a personal injury attorney in Washington, also had several memorable scenes.(TV Pluto)
Training Day (2001): After being excluded from one of his best decades, Washington could have won three or four Best Actor Oscars in the 1990s. However, the Academy made up for it when he played iconic LAPD cop Alonzo Harris, dragging up-and-coming Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) into the darkest depths of corruption over the course of a tense 24-hour period.(MGM+)
Flight (2012): Even when he testifies about miraculously landing an out-of-control jet, Washington’s unearthly appeal as pilot William Whip Whitaker is a front for his crippling addiction.(Paramount+)
In this black-and-white Coen Brothers adaptation that went unnoticed during the pandemic, Washington plays one of the most well-known tragic characters in literature. This is his most recent Oscar nomination.(Apple TV+)
Play or Skip
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Press play on these films and television programs:
Noah Hawley demonstrated his ability to skillfully adapt iconic films for the small screen with Fargo, and he does so once more with Alien: Earth (Season 1), an ambitious series that takes place two years prior to Ridley Scott’s original 1979 film (which is also available to stream on Hulu). Sydney Chandler (Sugar) portrays the first-ever hybrid, a synthetic entity implanted with human awareness, while Timothy Olyphant (Justified) serves as her instructor and trainer.(Hulu)
Jason Momoa’s passion project about late 18th-century Hawaii, Chief of War (Season 1), allows him to combine the best elements of his most well-known roles—Game of Thrones, Aquaman, and Dune—into a single character. Momoa, who portrays the powerful warrior Ka Iiana, is nimble with a spear and a sneer, but he also understands the serious threat posed by both European colonists and opposing tribes.(Apple TV+)
High and Low (1963): Watch the Akira Kurosawa classic that served as the inspiration for Spike Lee and Denzel Washington’s recent film, Highest 2 Lowest (read my in-depth assessment here). In Seven Samurai, Toshiro Mifune plays a Japanese businessman who is striving to save his firm when he is erroneously kidnapped and held for ransom by kidnappers who take his chauffeur’s son instead of his own.(Max HBO)
However, feel free to ignore these:
Fixed (2025): With unique and highly regarded films like Samurai Jack (streaming on HBO Max) and Star Wars: The Clone Wars (streaming on Disney+), Genndy Tartakovsky is one of the few animators with an auteurist streak. With this bawdy, somewhat unfunny R-rated comedy about horny, genital-obsessed dogs, the director obviously achieved his artistic goal, but the final product demonstrates that even the most brilliant minds shouldn’t be allowed to run wild.(Netflix)
The Rainmaker (Season 1): A word of advice: Instead of spending your time on the tedious, laborious, ten-part remake that is slowly making its weekly appearance on Peacock, watch Matt Damon in the 1997 film adaptation of John Grisham’s courtroom thriller (streaming on Paramount+). The peacock
Final Credits
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Good stream hunting, everyone, till the next time!
Kevin
Kevin Slane writes on culture and entertainment as a staff writer for Boston.com. Movie reviews, streaming guidelines, celebrities, and Boston activities are the main topics of his work.
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With carefully chosen suggestions from Boston.com, find the top films and TV series available for streaming right now.
