Denzel Washington has starred in several thrillers over the years, but one of his most intense movies from 2003 remains mostly forgotten by many fans. Washington starred in several historical dramas throughout the early part of his career, with roles in Glory, Malcolm X, and Philadelphia, among others. However, after winning his first Best Actor Oscar for the 2001 thriller movie Training Day, his career took an interesting turn. At 47, he became a hit-making action movie star.

It worked out well, with Washington trading in Oscar-nominated roles for parts in movies like Man on Fire, The Manchurian Candidate, Inside Man, Deja Vu, and more. He spread in some award-caliber movies along the way, but as he has shown with his Equalizer franchise, Denzel Washington’s biggest hits are always action movies, even as he heads into his 70s. However, one movie from 2003 rarely gets mentioned, despite Out of Time being one of Washington’s most intense films.

What Makes Out Of Time So Intense

Denzel Starred In A Film Noir Thriller In 2003

Denzel Washington’s best action movie role remains Training Day. In that film, he proved he could play a true villain, one who was ᴅᴇᴀᴅly and cunning, and it earned him an Oscar for Best Actor. Most of the time, Washington plays heroes, so it was strange seeing him go full evil, especially since he was portraying a dirty cop. Two years later, Washington played another dirty cop, but this time was different because he wasn’t an evil man.

Out of Time isn’t only a mystery thriller; it is almost a neo noir of sorts. While it isn’t as dark and brooding as most noir films, it possesses several traits. Washington is Matt, the chief of police and a respected man in the community. However, his personal life is in shambles. He is in the middle of a divorce from his wife, a homicide detective. He is having an affair with a married woman whose husband abuses her. This woman, Ann (Sanaa Lathan), is a classic femme fatale and will do anything to achieve her goal.

When she convinces Matt she has cancer, he steals money from evidence after a drug bust so she can go to Switzerland for treatment. When he learns she never had cancer, and she fakes her own death, he finds himself on the move, trying to cover up his crimes as his own wife closes in on the investigation. With the femme fatale angle making this a great noir film, and the personal nature of Matt’s relationship with those around him, the entire movie becomes a race against time to save his own ʙuтт.

Why Out Of Time Wasn’t A Success

The Movie Had Too Much Compeтιтion At Theaters

It seems interesting that Out of Time wasn’t a bigger success. The movie has positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 65% fresh score from critics. It was also an award winner, with Sanaa Lathan winning Best Actress and the movie winning Best Theatrical Film at the 2004 Black Reel Awards. Denzel Washington and director Carl Franklin also received nominations.

However, the movie only made $55.5 million on a $50 million budget. Washington’s next film, Man on Fire, finished with $130.3 million, a clear uptake on the box office take, even though its Rotten Tomatoes score was much lower, at 38%. So, what happened to Out of Time? It partially had to do with MGM’s track record as the studio also had box office bombs with Rollerball, Windtalkers, and Hart’s War. This also ended up as director Carl Franklin’s last movie before moving to television as well.

Another reason it flopped was because it hit theaters at the same time as School of Rock. Widely considered Jack Black’s best movie, the Richard Linklater release cost less and made $131.3 million at the box office, wiping out any chance Out of Time had to make money upon release. It didn’t have legs either, as it dropped 46.9% in the second week and then flopped overseas as well, with only $14.4 million internationally.

The Rundown, an action movie starring Dwayne Johnson, was still in theaters, and it did have legs, which hurt Out of Time. Even more damaging was the fact that Kill Bill: Volume 1 hit theaters one week after this film’s release, and it was ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in the water. However, thanks to streaming, new fans can discover Out of Time for the first time, and the Denzel Washington movie might finally get the appreciation it deserves.