Videos by ComicBook.com
Before Netflix’s reboot of A. J. Quinnell’s action thriller novel later this year, subscribers have the chance to stream the 2004 movie adaptation of Man on Fire. The Tony Scott-produced and directed film joined the platform on January 1st and became an instant streaming hit. The movie stars Washington as ex-CIA operative John Creasy, who reluctantly accepts a job as a bodyguard for 9-year-old Lupita (Dakota Fanning) in Mexico City. When Lupita is kidnapped, he embarks on a brutal, vengeful rampage against the corrupt criminals who abduct her.
Man on Fire Is One of Denzel Washington’s Most Divisive Films
It’s not uncommon to see Man on Fire ranked on “best of” lists for Washington’s filmography, but it hasn’t always been that way. The movie is one of the most divisive films in the actor’s career, with one of the biggest gaps between critic and audience reception. The film’s 39% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes makes it tied with A Journal of Jordan as Washington’s sixth-lowest-rated movie but is his seventh-highest-rated audience score with an 89% rating.
The movie’s low critic consensus was largely due to just how grim the story is and the gritty violence, as well as Scott’s frenetic editing, jump cuts, and visual effects, with some arguing that the movie prioritized style over substance. BBC.com’s Nev Pierce called the movie “sadistic” and a major disappointment” in his 2005 review of the film, and Decent Films’ Steven D. Greydanus dubbed Man on Fire “a new low for both Washington and Scott, and one of the nastier bits of business in quite some time.”
