Time: 109 Minutes
Age Rating: R16 – Bloody violence & offensive language
Cast:
Denzel Washington as Robert McCall
Dakota Fanning as Emma Collins
Eugenio Mastrandrea as Gio Bonucci
David Denman as Frank Conroy
Sonia Ben Ammar as Chiara Bonucci
Remo Girone as Enzo Arisio
Director: Antoine Fuqua

Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall finds solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed. Now living in Southern Italy, he soon discovers his new friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall becomes their protector by taking on the mafia.

Denzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua reunite to deliver a solid third and final movie to their Equalizer series.

The Equalizer movies do tend to take things a bit steady with its pacing, but Equalizer 3 might be the slowest of the trilogy. It is also comparatively less action oriented, and it really leans into being somewhat a character study. A lot of the movie is dedicated to protagonist Robert McCall getting used to living in a small Italian village, before inevitably having to go back to his killing ways when the mafia comes into view. One thing I liked was the change in location, with it being set in Italy instead of Boston. It does a good job at making the small town feel like a character in itself. There is a CIA subplot which feels a little far removed from the rest of the movie, but otherwise the movie is pretty focused, and doesn’t feel as overstuffed as the previous film. The story is pretty straightforward and predictable, but I was into it, and I liked the arc that McCall goes on. Like the other two movies, it is fairly standalone, but I’d say that it’s worth watching the first two films to get the full experience, and especially seeing the journey that McCall has gone on.

Denzel Washington always brings everything to his performances, and his Equalizer protagonist Robert McCall is no exception. This character and the movies really wouldn’t work without the weight of his performance, he sells it so well. His charisma and presence makes his character believable, especially with his calm demeanour. Any scene where he has to be threatening, he really does come across as a boogeyman straight out of a slasher film. The supporting cast is good, from many of the actors in the Italian village, to Dakota Fanning in her own subplot. The villains here are definitely the least memorable of the trilogy, but are effectively hateable at least.

Antoine Fuqua’s direction for his third Equalizer movie is once again solid. As said before, the Italy setting is a nice change of location, and the movie takes advantage of that. The cinematography from Robert Richardson is visually striking and has some great lighting. The movie doesn’t have a ton of action, but it packs a punch when it’s there. Instead of being on an over the top spectacle, the third movie takes a different approach. Some moments of the previous two felt less like an action scene and more like McCall executing, even coming across like a slasher villain. The third movie leans into this, with McCall’s movements and appearances akin to how Michael Myers would be portrayed. 

The Equalizer 3 is a decent action thriller, well directed, and once again grounded and elevated by Denzel Washington’s lead performance. It’s a solid and satisfying end to the trilogy.