Denzel Washington birthday special: 10 films like 'Malcolm X' that you should watch

Denzel Washington has developed a reputation for delivering performances that have been talked about for years since their big-screen releases. They even tend to leave a near-permanent impact on the audience members long after they have seen his performance in one of Denzel Washington's movies like Malcolm X, for example. In Malcolm X, Washington was observed to have brought to life a historic character from the African-American's side of American history.

Movies Like Malcolm X, which has him playing impactful characters that carry a message with a dash of his creative flair, are what has earned the actor the status of an A-list star. This article is essentially a list of Denzel Washington's movies that have been curated for those who would like to see films similar to Malcolm X on the occasion of Denzel Washington's birthday.

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1) The Magnificient Seven

Source: A still from the film

Denzel Washington's birthday go-to movie list has to start with his portrayal of Sam Chisolm in The Magnificient Seven. At the time of the film's release in 2016, Denzel Washington's age was all of sixty-one years old. Much like in Malcolm X, Washington's character is seeking justice for a marginalized section for society. Even at the age of 61, one has observed that Washington has outshone the likes of Chriss Pratt, Ethan Hawke & Lee Byung-hun. The film can be streamed on YouTube on a rental basis.

2) Flight

Source: A still from the film

Denzel Washington's character in Flight and as well as Malcolm X have one common less-thought-of commonality that has rarely been highlighted by anyone. In both the films, it was observed that Washington's central protagonist had been given a hard time just for the sole purpose of doing the right thing through off-the-book methods. The film has a rating of 7.3 on IMDb and is available for streaming on Netflix.

3) Fences

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The Denzel Washington & Viola Davis-starrer & Malcolm X tackle the centuries-old practice of racism in their own unique ways. Fences is an emotional story about the tyranny that an African American Basketball aspirant causes upon losing his chance of becoming a player due to racism. The film, which has also been directed by Washington, has a rating of 7.2 on IMDb and is available on various streaming services, depending on one's geographical location.

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4) American Gangster

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The Antoine Fuqua directorial and Malcolm X indirectly talk about the spine that one needs to possess in order to run an organisation for the purpose of achieving the desired results. However, one can definitely make the argument that Malcolm X and Denzel Washington's character in the film, Frank Lucas, belong to the different ends of the moral spectrum. But, the reality is that there's a visible throughline. The Antoine Fuqua-directorial is available for streaming on Netflix.

5) Inside Man

                                                     

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The theme of deals and negotiations going awry and the characters facing the consequences of the same is the common through-line between Malcolm X and Inside Man. At the time of the release of this film, Denzel Washington's age was all of 51 years old. What also connects the two film is their director, Spike Lee, who recently gave films like the John David Washington-starrer BlackKlansman & the late Chadwick Boseman-starrer Da 5 Bloods. the film is also available for streaming on YouTube on a rental basis.

6) Man On Fire

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What ties Man On Fire and Malcolm X together are their central character's determination to acquire what rightfully belongs to them. Man On Fire has Washington essaying the character of an ex-CIA officer. The film has been directed by Tony Scott and has a rating of 7.7 on IMDb, as of this writing. The feature film is also available for streaming on Netflix.

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7) The Equalizer 

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In the film, much like his character in Malcolm X, Denzel Washington's fight for justice arises out of the extraordinary circumstances that have transpired around him. Most of the events, in the two films, have been performed as part of racially-charged agendas. The film has a rating of 7.2 on IMDb and is available for streaming on Netflix.

8) Crimson Tide

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The 1995 film, much like Malcolm X, is a fight for territory and the extreme extents one is ready to go to for securing what belongs to them. The screenplay of Crimson Tide has been written by Quentin Tarantino and Michael Schiffer. The Tony Scott directorial has received a rating of 7.3 on IMDb and is available for streaming on YouTube on a rental basis.

9) Remember The Titans

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The common theme of the will to fight for oneself while battling the practice of racism can be considered to be a common theme between Malcolm X and Remember The Titans. The film in question has been directed by Edward Zwick and back in the day, it had grossed over 130 million US dollars at the box office during its initial release in 2000. The film is available for streaming on YouTube on a rental basis.

10) The Seige

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One can see that subtly, Denzel Washington's character in the film also gets subjected to racism in the various sequences of the film. The film is one of those very few cult features that had achieved the milestone of 100 million dollars in gross box office collections, which was relatively unheard of feat in connection to a film that had an actor of African American descent as one of its leads. The Edward Zwick film has a rating of 6.4 on IMDb and is available for streaming on YouTube on a rental basis.

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