Denzel Washington Box Office Bomb Deserves Another Chance

Denzel Washington plays Philadelphia Police Detective John Hobbes who is about to put a bow on the case of notorious serial killer Edgar Reese (Elias Koteas). Hobbes had helped bring Reese to justice and is the primary reason why the murderer is sitting on death row awaiting execution. Fallen sees Hobbes paying a visit to Reese in the hours before he’s taken into the death chamber and has an eerie encounter with him.

At one point during their conversation, Reese grabs Hobbes’ hand and begins speaking in a language unfamiliar to the detective. After he dies, Hobbes and his partner Jonesy (John Goodman) become involved in investigating more murders that mock the MO of Reese’s previous kills, but the pair chalk them up to a copycat.

But Denzel Washington’s character is about to learn a lesson involving an ancient demon, possession, and unholy vengeance as Fallen takes a wild turn.

Hobbes meets with Gretta Milano (Embeth Davidtz), the daughter of a former detective that killed himself while investigating ritual murders similar to the ones Reese had committed.

After researching the dead cop’s papers, Hobbes comes to the realization that he was investigating murders committed by a demon named Azazel. Azazel goes from body to body with the touch of the fingers, meaning he can possess a person immediately and bend them to his will before transferring out to someone else.

As the film progresses, Denzel Washington’s character sees Azazel becoming angered that his identity is known and is now seeking retribution against him.

Fallen reveals that Hobbes becomes privy to a way to defeat Aazael once and for all, even as the demon destroys his life and everyone in it.

Denzel Washington portrays John Hobbes as a likable everyman in Fallen. Hobbes is a great cop, a caring brother and uncle, and truly wants justice to be served to the victims of the criminals he apprehends.

But Washington plays Hobbes in such a way that audiences feel real connections with the character, as if Hobbes could be a close relative or that endearing neighbor that everyone likes.

The choices that Hobbes is forced to make violate the perception of his personal character, looking as though he is a killer despite being the demon’s pawn. Denzel Washington gives Fallen that extra push in making its main character all that more likable and that much more tragic.

Denzel Washington isn’t the only actor whose performances are noteworthy in Fallen, however. John Goodman plays the perfect cop at his co-star’s side, while the late Donald Sutherland excels in his role as the hardened Lieutenant Stanton.

Fallen also gets great performances from James Gandolfini and Gabriel Casseus.

The movie gets great props for the best use of two different tracks from the Rolling Stones. “Time is On My Side” and “Sympathy for the Devil” add perfect touches to a great horror-thriller, the former song’s lyrics becoming a key factor in Hobbes’ discoveries about his demonic enemy.

GFR SCORE

Fallen follows a great story arc, has well-developed and relatable characters, and takes some unexpected turns that will fool most any audience. Sadly, even with Denzel Washington getting top billing, Fallen fell flat with critics and at the box office. On a budget of $46 million, the film only grossed $25.2 million at the box office.

The underrated Denzel Washington film isn’t streaming on any platform currently, but you can catch Fallen on AppleTV.