Denzel Washington's Most Underrated Movie Is A $46 Million Flop From 26 Years Ago

Summary Fallen is Denzel Washington's most underrated movie, combining police procedural with supernatural horror for a gripping twist.

Despite being a commercial and critical failure upon release, Fallen has since become a cult-favorite in Denzel Washington's filmography.

Combining 90s box office trends of supernatural horror and serial killer thrillers, Fallen should have been a huge hit with its killer twist ending.

Although Denzel Washington has enjoyed many major hits in his lengthy screen career, one of the star’s most underrated movies was a flop from 26 years ago. Denzel Washington might be one of the most acclaimed actors of the last few decades, but his box office record is less pristine than viewers might assume. The star’s very first movie, the 1981 comedy Carbon Copy, underperformed upon release, as did Denzel Washington’s Spike Lee collaboration He Got Game in 1997. A string of critical and commercial hits ensured that these wobbles didn’t do any lasting damage to Washington’s career.

Some of Washington’s flops have been reappraised by critics in the years since their original release. 1995’s noir mystery Devil In A Blue Dress failed to recoup its budget upon release, but the murky thriller is now seen as a forgotten classic. Similarly, although 2003’s Out of Time was nowhere near as successful as the following year’s Man On Fire, its reception has improved in the years since its release. The high-concept thriller never garnered as much acclaim as Washington’s Tony Scott collaboration, but a re-watch proves that it has the same slick style as Scott’s efforts.

Fallen Is Denzel Washington’s Most Underrated Movie

The Psychological Thriller Fuses Supernatural Horror With Murder Mystery

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However, none of these movies can boast the title of Denzel Washington’s most underrated movie. That honor goes to 1998’s largely forgotten supernatural thriller Fallen. Fallen follows the story of Detective John Hobbes, a cop who is disturbed to discover a series of murders that fit the modus operandi of a serial killer whose execution Hobbes recently witnessed. Fallen’s supporting cast includes John Goodman, James Gandolfini, Donald Sutherland, Embeth Davidtz, and Elias Koteas, and the movie makes the most of this starry lineup with a twisty story that delves further into supernatural horror as the plot progresses.

Fallen's combination of police procedural and demonic horror makes it Washington’s most underrated movie, with the thriller playing out like an unholy fusion of Sinister and Silence of the Lambs. Washington has played many cops and, for its opening half, Fallen feels like an unusually spooky serial killer thriller with a few supernatural flourishes akin to True Detective season 1. It is only when the movie reveals its big twist that things take a turn for the outright paranormal and by then, the atmosphere and tension are so effective that Fallen’s big swing never feels silly or over-the-top.

Why Fallen Should Have Been A Huge Hit

The 1998 Horror Thriller Combined Two Major 90s Box Office Trends

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Fallen combined two trends that were massive box office winners in the ‘90s, namely supernatural horror (like End of Days and Stigmata) and serial killer thrillers (such as Silence of the Lambs, Se7en, and Copycat).

By rights, Fallen should have been a huge success at the box office when the thriller arrived in January 1998. Fallen combined two trends that were massive box office winners in the ‘90s, namely supernatural horror (like End of Days and Stigmata) and serial killer thrillers (such as Silence of the Lambs, Se7en, and Copycat). It doesn’t hurt that Fallen is also a great movie with a killer twist ending, unlike many of the examples mentioned above, so word of mouth should have helped its box office numbers after opening weekend. However, this wasn’t destined to be.

Despite the success of director Gregory Hoblit’s earlier thriller Primal Fear, Fallen was a commercial and critical failure. The $46 million movie made only $25 million on its release and reviewers weren’t kind to the movie. Even though Fallen is one of Denzel Washington’s best movies, Variety called the thriller “A convoluted picture” and “Only intermittently suspenseful,” while The New York Times dismissed Fallen as “Seriously far-fetched.” This may have been due to Fallen’s reviewers expecting a more straightforward, traditional police procedural, but Hoblit’s movie does hint at the true nature of its villain from the opening scene.

Denzel Washington’s Fallen Has Become A Cult-Favorite Since Its Original Release

Time Has Been Kind To The Twisty Horror Thriller Hybrid

Custom image by Stephen Barker

Luckily for Fallen, time was on the movie’s side and the years after its release have seen the supernatural thriller reappraised as a lost gem from Washington’s extensive back catalog. It doesn’t hurt that later movies like 2014’s Deliver Us From Evil and 2001’s Frailty revisited Fallen’s combination of mystery thriller tropes and supernatural horror elements, proving that the flop was ahead of its time. However, it was Washington’s central turn that kept viewers coming back to the underrated movie over the years.

While Denzel Washington’s box office record is mixed, the actor reliably puts in memorable performances. Fallen sees Washington balance taciturn investigation with increasing incredulity and, eventually, outright terror when he discovers the terrible truth. It’s a role that could have been an overly familiar cliché in the hands of a lesser actor, but the star makes Fallen’s outlandish story work with an engaging, grounded central turn. As a result, Fallen still deserves to be mentioned among Denzel Washington’s best movies despite its box office struggles.