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The Equalizer (2014)

Trailer
2:30 | Trailer
A man believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and has dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life, before he meets a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters and can't stand idly by.

Director:

Antoine Fuqua

Writers:

Richard Wenk, Michael Sloan (based on the television series created by) | 1 more credit »
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Popularity
575 ( 310)
1 win & 9 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Denzel Washington ... Robert McCall
Marton Csokas ... Teddy
Chloë Grace Moretz ... Teri
David Harbour ... Masters
Haley Bennett ... Mandy
Bill Pullman ... Brian Plummer
Melissa Leo ... Susan Plummer
David Meunier ... Slavi
Johnny Skourtis ... Ralphie
Alex Veadov ... Tevi
Vladimir Kulich ... Vladimir Pushkin
E. Roger Mitchell ... Lead Investigator
James Wilcox ... Pederson
Mike O'Dea Mike O'Dea ... Remar (as Mike P. O'Dea)
Anastasia Mousis Sanidopoulos ... Jenny (as Anastasia Mousis)
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Storyline

Robert McCall,'s a former special service commando who faked his own death in hopes of living out a quiet life. Instead, he comes out of his self-imposed retirement to save a young girl, and finds his desire for justice reawakened after coming face-to-face with members of a brutal Russian gang. McCall becomes the go-to man when the helpless require the kind of vengeance they would never find without his skills.

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

What do you see when you look at me?

Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Certificate:

14A | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua's second film together. See more »

Goofs

(at around 31 mins) Flipped shot. A brief transition scene shows a Boston "T" Red Line subway car traveling from left to right. All the writing on the subway car is reversed. See more »

Quotes

Little John Looney: Who the fuck do you think you are, coming done here talking to me like...
Teddy: Who I am, or what I am? Who I am is complicated. What I am is a little easier. I'm a threat. I alter outcomes.
See more »

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. See more »


Soundtracks

Silver
Written by Zachary Abels (as Zach Abels), Jeremy Freedman, Mikey Margott (as Mike Margott) and Jesse James Rutherford (as Jesse Rutherford)
Performed by The Neighbourhood
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
See more »

User Reviews

 
Denzel Washington made this film better than it was
27 July 2018 | by TopDawgCriticSee all my reviews

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.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook | Official site | See more »

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian | Spanish

Release Date:

26 September 2014 (Canada) See more »

Also Known As:

Le justicier See more »

Filming Locations:

Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$34,137,828, 28 September 2014

Gross USA:

$101,530,738

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$192,330,738
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1
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