Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
McCall believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when he meets Teri, a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can’t stand idly by – he has to help her. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer.
The Equalizer is a competent, watchable action-thriller elevated largely by Denzel Washington's commanding screen presence. The plot is a familiar vigilante revenge template — a loner with a mysterious past protects the vulnerable against organized crime — executed with polish but little originality. Washington brings gravitas and quiet menace that lifts the material above its genre average, though the supporting cast is thinner. Antoine Fuqua's direction is slick and the action sequences are well-staged with some stylish slow-motion timing mechanics, but the cinematography rarely rises beyond serviceable thriller aesthetics. Novelty is low: it's a remake of a TV property following well-worn ex-operative vigilante tropes. The ending delivers satisfying genre catharsis but no surprises.