Denzel Washington has dabbled across several genres in his time as a Hollywood leading man, but he’s only ever been in one true horror movie, 1998’s Fallen, and it deserves far more recognition than it gets. The supernatural religious horror movie features Washington as a seasoned Philadelphia police detective who is investigating a series of ritualistic murders that are reminiscent of those committed by a serial killer he had already put on death row. What begins as a religious thriller veers into supernatural horror with the introduction of genuine demonic possession as the narrative unfolds.
While Fallen was regarded as a box office flop upon its release, it has gained a certain cult status over the years, and is widely regarded as one of Denzel Washington’s most underrated movies. The stand-alone movie has an original, creative plot that is appropriately dark for a creepy religious horror movie, and it features solid performances from a quietly excellent cast. When all factors are considered, the fact that many casual moviegoers haven’t even heard of Fallen, much less appreciate it, seems incredible.
Fallen Is Denzel Washington’s Only Horror Movie
He’s Done Thrillers, But Never Anything Else That’s True Horror
As a two-time Academy Award-winner, Denzel Washington is justifiably recognized as an all-time great dramatic actor. However, he has crossed into both the action and thriller genres often, with major hits like The Bone Collector, The Book of Eli, and Crimson Tide under his belt, in addition to his many memorable dramatic roles. Washington has been particularly successful in crime thriller roles, some of which have had creepy elements to them.
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Fallen – Key Details |
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Release Date |
Director |
Budget |
Box Office Gross |
RT Tomatometer Score |
RT Popcornmeter Score |
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January 16th, 1998 |
Gregory Hoblit |
$46 million |
$25.2 million |
40% |
72% |
Despite the number of thrillers to his name, Fallen is the only Denzel Washington movie that can ever really be considered horror. Thanks to its heavy supernatural elements and the underlying creepiness of its religious aspects, Fallen firmly crosses the line from a crime thriller into supernatural religious horror. Predicated on genuine and prolific demonic possession, the anxiety-inducing narrative about an evil enтιтy that jumps from person-to-person by touch has all the trademarks of multiple horror subgenres, and it’s a classic example of the late 1990s fascination with serial killer movies to boot.
Fallen Has An Incredible Cast That Includes John Goodman & James Gandolfini
The Under-The-Radar Movie Has Several Big Stars
In addition to Denzel Washington, Fallen features a surprising number of big-name actors for a movie that feels all but forgotten in most cinematic circles. The partner of Washington’s Detective John Hobbes is played by John Goodman, who played Walter Sobchak in The Big Lebowski that same year. A year before he became an international superstar as Tony Soprano in HBO’s The Sopranos, James Gandolfini had a small role as Hobbes’ friend at the precinct, and has a memorable and entertaining scene in which he’s possessed by a demon.
The demon’s name is Azazel, which is a reference to the biblical fallen angel of the same name who is responsible for introducing humanity to forbidden knowledge (hence the movie’s тιтle).
Donald Sutherland (Citizen X, The Hunger Games) plays a fellow investigator who eventually gets on Hobbes’ trail as a suspect for the string of murders that have been committed, and Elias Koteas (Let Me In, Some Kind Of Wonderful) portrays twisted serial killer Edgar Reese, from whose death row execution the narrative unfolds. Embeth Davidtz (Schindler’s List, Matilda) shines as the source of exposition, Gretta Milano, convincingly playing terrified and unsettling in her own right during the events chronicled in Fallen.
Fallen Is An Extremely Underrated & Creepy Religious Horror Film
It’s Based Upon Occult Serial Murders And Demonic Possession
One of the defining elements of Fallen, and the major reason why it’s particularly deserving of more attention than it gets, is its well-crafted and original premise. The notion of a demon tormenting a person not by invading their body, but by possessing those around them and taunting them incessantly, brings a level of creepiness and paranoia to everything. With a cast that’s up to the task, the premise is played out well and is definitely entertaining from a horror perspective. The sing-song taunt of the demon Azazel is up there with the best of the 1990s iconic horror elements.
Director Gregory Hoblit also does a great job of creating a haunting environment throughout the movie. He plays with shadows and lighting particularly well, making things seem as though they’re moving in the dark and thereby elevating the already high level of paranoia that the audience has when confronted by a demon that can use anyone at any given time as long as they touch them to “pᴀss it on”. Hobbes’ final confrontation with the demon Azazel and the shocking twist ending are the exclamation points on why Fallen deserves far more credit than it gets.
