Watch The Equalizer

The Equalizer is a 2014 American action thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by Richard Wenk. It is loosely based on the 1980s TV series of the same name. The film stars Denzel Washington as Robert McCall, a retired CIA black ops operative who now lives a quiet life and works at a Home Depot-like store named Home Mart. However, his old skills come back to the surface when he decides to help Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young prostitute who is being abused by her pimps.

Robert first encounters Teri when she comes into the store looking for some gardening supplies. It's clear she has been roughed up, so Robert starts up a conversation with her. Though wary at first, Teri opens up to Robert and reveals the danger she is in with the Russian mobsters who act as her pimps. Robert offers to drive her home that night and tells her she can call him anytime she needs help. When Robert sees the fear and desperation in Teri's eyes, his protective instincts kick in.

Later that night, Robert follows Teri's pimps and saves her from a gruesome fate by taking out all her captors in brutally efficient ways. However, this puts him in the crosshairs of the Russian mob headed by kingpin Vladimir Pushkin (Vladimir Kulich). Pushkin sends his ruthless enforcer Teddy (Marton Csokas) to find and eliminate whoever killed his men.

Teddy starts piecing together clues and soon narrows in on Robert as the primary suspect. Meanwhile, we learn more about Robert's mysterious past through flashbacks to his CIA work. Robert starts preparing for the confrontation he knows is coming, while also trying to protect Teri and get her set up with a new life away from her abusive pimps.

The final act brings Teddy and his thugs to Robert's home for a tense showdown. Robert has used his CIA-honed tactical skills to turn his apartment into a cunning trap for the mobsters. This leads to an extended battle sequence where Robert takes out dozens of armed hitmen through ingenious tricks and traps, while Teddy becomes increasingly unhinged and ruthless.

In the end, Robert defeats Teddy in a brutal hand-to-hand fight and rescues Teri from the mob's clutches. As Robert and Teri walk away, he decides to continue using his deadly skills to help other desperate and endangered people trapped in impossible situations. Though he tried to leave that life behind, Robert realizes helping people like Teri gives him a noble purpose.

Overall, The Equalizer balances taut action sequences with Denzel Washington's strong central performance as a reluctant hero unable to ignore his instincts for justice. Director Antoine Fuqua brings a gritty, urban feel through the atmospheric cinematography and production design. The propulsive soundtrack and crisp editing maintain an electrifying momentum. While not profoundly deep, the film delivers an entertaining thrill ride for fans of vigilante action movies.

The Equalizer is a 2014 thriller with a runtime of 2 hours and 12 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.2 and a MetaScore of 57.