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IMDbPro

The Equalizer

  • 20142014
  • RR
  • 2h 12m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
365K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
834
273
Denzel Washington in The Equalizer (2014)
A former black ops commando who faked his death for a quiet life in Boston comes out of his retirement to rescue a young girl and finds himself face to face with Russian gangsters.
Play trailer2:30
22 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Action
  • Crime
  • Thriller
A man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him cannot stand idly by when he meets a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters.A man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him cannot stand idly by when he meets a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters.A man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him cannot stand idly by when he meets a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters.
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
365K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
834
273
  • Director
    • Antoine Fuqua
  • Writers
    • Richard Wenk
    • Michael Sloan(based on the television series created by)
    • Richard Lindheim(based on the television series created by)
  • Stars
    • Denzel Washington
    • Marton Csokas
    • Chloë Grace Moretz
Top credits
  • Director
    • Antoine Fuqua
  • Writers
    • Richard Wenk
    • Michael Sloan(based on the television series created by)
    • Richard Lindheim(based on the television series created by)
  • Stars
    • Denzel Washington
    • Marton Csokas
    • Chloë Grace Moretz
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 704User reviews
    • 321Critic reviews
    • 57Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 9 nominations

    Videos22

    UK Trailer
    Trailer 2:30
    UK Trailer
    Internet Trailer
    Trailer 2:34
    Internet Trailer
    Trailer #1
    Trailer 2:38
    Trailer #1
    Clip
    Clip 0:59
    Clip
    Clip
    Clip 0:50
    Clip
    Clip
    Clip 1:06
    Clip
    Clip
    Clip 0:55
    Clip
    Clip
    Clip 0:53
    Clip
    Exclusive Featurette
    Featurette 2:23
    Exclusive Featurette
    Interview
    Interview 2:51
    Interview
    Interview
    Interview 2:49
    Interview
    Interview
    Interview 1:44
    Interview

    Photos273

    Denzel Washington and David Harbour in The Equalizer (2014)
    Denzel Washington, Anastasia Mousis Sanidopoulos, and Mike Morrell in The Equalizer (2014)
    Denzel Washington in The Equalizer (2014)
    Denzel Washington in The Equalizer (2014)
    Denzel Washington and David Harbour in The Equalizer (2014)
    Denzel Washington in The Equalizer (2014)
    Denzel Washington and Marton Csokas in The Equalizer (2014)
    Denzel Washington in The Equalizer (2014)
    Denzel Washington in The Equalizer (2014)
    Denzel Washington in The Equalizer (2014)
    Chloë Grace Moretz in The Equalizer (2014)
    Marton Csokas in The Equalizer (2014)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Denzel Washington
    Denzel Washington
    • Robert McCallas Robert McCall
    Marton Csokas
    Marton Csokas
    • Teddyas Teddy
    Chloë Grace Moretz
    Chloë Grace Moretz
    • Terias Teri
    David Harbour
    David Harbour
    • Mastersas Masters
    Haley Bennett
    Haley Bennett
    • Mandyas Mandy
    Bill Pullman
    Bill Pullman
    • Brian Plummeras Brian Plummer
    Melissa Leo
    Melissa Leo
    • Susan Plummeras Susan Plummer
    David Meunier
    David Meunier
    • Slavias Slavi
    Johnny Skourtis
    Johnny Skourtis
    • Ralphieas Ralphie
    Alex Veadov
    Alex Veadov
    • Tevias Tevi
    Vladimir Kulich
    Vladimir Kulich
    • Vladimir Pushkinas Vladimir Pushkin
    E. Roger Mitchell
    E. Roger Mitchell
    • Lead Investigatoras Lead Investigator
    James Wilcox
    James Wilcox
    • Pedersonas Pederson
    Mike O'Dea
    • Remaras Remar
    • (as Mike P. O'Dea)
    Anastasia Mousis Sanidopoulos
    Anastasia Mousis Sanidopoulos
    • Jennyas Jenny
    • (as Anastasia Mousis)
    Allen Maldonado
    Allen Maldonado
    • Marcusas Marcus
    Rhet Kidd
    Rhet Kidd
    • Jayas Jay
    • (as Chris Lemieux)
    Mike Morrell
    • HM Brianas HM Brian
    • Director
      • Antoine Fuqua
    • Writers
      • Richard Wenk
      • Michael Sloan(based on the television series created by)
      • Richard Lindheim(based on the television series created by)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The script originally had no back story about Robert, so Denzel Washington contributed much to the character's background and back story, including McCall having obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In addition to his daily physical and fight training before filming, Washington met and interviewed several real-life OCD sufferers in order to gain insights on how to play that disorder correctly.
    • Goofs
      The quote shown at the start of the movie, "The two most important days of your life are the day you're born and the day you find out why." is attributed to Mark Twain whereas the source of this quote is actually unknown.
    • Quotes

      Robert McCall: When you pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too.

    • Alternate versions
      The UK cinema, DVD and Blu-ray versions are cut for violence to secure a 15 rating, removing or reducing the following:
      • The closeup of the corkscrew being pushed further into Tevi's mouth, and the final shot of his face right before it's withdrawn.
      • The first shot of the mercenary bleeding and choking on the barbed wire noose.
      Columbia made additional cuts in two more scenes, which appear not to have been requested by the BBFC:
      • A closeup of Teddy beating Little John's bloodied face twice, and a shot from behind that shows him readying another punch.
      • The gangster being impaled through the neck was shortened at the start and end.
      The six cuts total approximately 15 seconds. The UK Ultra HD Blu-ray is uncut and rated 18.
    • Connections
      Featured in Inside 'the Equalizer' (2014)
    • Soundtracks
      Sixteen
      Written by Screamin' Jay Hawkins (as Jay Hawkins), Chris Ellul, Kelvin Swaby, Daniel Taylor (as Dan Taylor) and Spencer Page

      Performed by The Heavy

      Courtesy of Counter Records

      By arrangement with Zync Music Group LLC

    User reviews704

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Denzel Washington made this film better than it was
    So I just finished watching Equalizer (EQ1) again, so I can watch Equalizer 2 (EQ2) for the comparison.

    It's too bad both films had the same director and writers, as they have a bad habit of dragging out the writing and the scenes. Both films at just over 2 hours is just way too long, especially in the simplistic singular plot or EQ1. However, that plot still worked, and mainly because of the entire casts especially Denzel Washington's performance(s). EQ2 certainly had better pacing and a more suspenseful plot - albeit predictable, however it had many plot issues and holes as well as some scenes that needed to be edited down. The new supporting cast was not as strong either.

    Which did I enjoy better? Probably EQ1 by a small margin, but they both got an 8/10 from me, as they each had their merits and issues. Nevertheless still enjoyable. I hope if they come out with a EQ3, they speed up the pacing within the writing and directing.
    helpful•61
    18
    • Top_Dawg_Critic
    • Jul 27, 2018

    FAQ4

    • What is "The Equalizer" about?
    • What is the Equalizer about?
    • What are the differences between the UK Theatrical Version and the Uncut Version?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 26, 2014 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • English
      • Russian
      • Spanish
      • German
    • Also known as
      • Thiện Ác Đối Đầu
    • Filming locations
      • Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures
      • LStar Capital
      • Village Roadshow Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $55,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $101,530,738
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $34,137,828
      • Sep 28, 2014
    • Gross worldwide
      • $192,330,738
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 12 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • SDDS
      • Datasat
      • Dolby Digital
      • Dolby Surround 7.1
      • Dolby Atmos
      • IMAX 6-Track
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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