Denzel's first Oscar winner still holds up 36 years later, and you can stream it on Netflix now

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"Glory" remains an impressive war movie and Denzel will give you goosebumps

(L-R) Andre Braugher, Denzel Washington and Jihmi Kennedy in "Glory" (1989).
(Image credit: Alamy)
The Tom's Guide Verdict: "Glory"

Rating: 4/5 stars

Verdict: "Glory" may be nearly four decades old, but this war epic still holds up today. Telling the tale of the first all-Black regiment in the Civil War, it's beautifully shot and features incredible performances from Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and Andre Braugher. Its main flaw is that it largely chooses to center the film around a white colonel played by a miscast Matthew Broderick.

Where to watch: Stream "Glory" on Netflix

I'm watching a Denzel Washington movie a week for an entire year, and this week, I was rewarded for my efforts by streaming "Glory." This 1989 war epic is the best movie I've watched so far in my ongoing Denzel Watchathon, and it's also the most important. That's because "Glory" is the movie for which Denzel won his first Oscar, and after watching this movie, I can say it's richly deserved.

But this movie about the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, the first all-Black regiment in the U.S. military, is undoubtedly the high-water mark of my movie marathon, and the first major achievement in Denzel's career. In this movie, he plays Trip, a former slave fighting in the 54th, who often serves as a devil's advocate-like figure to the audience, speaking on the realities of being a Black soldier fighting for a country that arguably doesn't want you.

If you want to watch this movie before you read on, I have some great news. "Glory" is available on Netflix, which isn't just one of the best streaming services we've tested, but it's one you almost certainly have. That means you should have no problems streaming this movie if you want to before reading my review of Denzel's best performance of the 1980s

Malcolm McMillan
Malcolm McMillan

Malcolm has been with the Streaming team at Tom's Guide since 2023, reviewing dozens of movies each year so you don't have to watch the bad ones.

'Glory' features an incredible cast of Black actors, but it's still Denzel who delivers this movie's iconic moments

Let me be clear: This is a great movie. It's littered with rewatchable scenes that make you sit up and pay attention. Right away, we're thrust into the Battle of Antietam (somewhere I would visit as a kid), and we witness a man get his head blown apart right in front of Union officer Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick), who is the protagonist of the film.

Read more Denzel Watchathon

Here are the other Denzel Washington movies I've covered so far in our Denzel Watchathon:

  1. "Carbon Copy" (1981)
  2. "A Soldier's Story" (1984)
  3. "Power" (1986)
  4. "Cry Freedom" (1987)
  5. "For Queen and Country" (1988)
  6. "The Mighty Quinn" (1989)

But the movie really starts once we start to be introduced to the Black actors that form the soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts. We meet Andre Braugher first, who portrays Robert's friend Thomas Searles, and becomes the first to volunteer for the all-Black regiment. But not long after, we also meet John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman), Jupiter Sharts (Jihmi Kennedy) and Trip (Denzel Washington).

That's an incredible cast of actors, but it's quickly Denzel who starts taking over, a remarkable statement given who he's acting with.

As the movie goes on, he delivers most of its most iconic moments. When he is whipped for desertion, you, like Robert, cannot look away as he stares at you, refusing to break but unable to hold back a single tear rolling down his face. When the men are told they'll be paid less than white soldiers, he's the one to rally them into protest, and you can't help but root for him to succeed.

But his character isn't just there to deliver incredible scenes. He's highly skeptical of fighting for the Union, or at least, he's skeptical that fighting for the Union will suddenly lead to white people welcoming him with open arms. That culminates in a scene where Robert asks Trip to carry the regiment's colors, and Trip refuses, stating that he "won't carry your flag," with "your" being the operative word there.

Verdict: 'Glory' is still a must-watch 36 years later

GLORY [1989] – Official Trailer (HD) - YouTube GLORY [1989] – Official Trailer (HD) - YouTube
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These twin aspects of Trip are finally brought together in the final climactic battle of "Glory," an assault on Fort Wagner in South Carolina. I don't want to spoil what happens in what is frankly a battle sequence that still holds up against modern war movies decades later, but suffice to say, in the moment Trip becomes fully realized as a character, it gave me goosebumps.

So it's unsurprising that Denzel was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for "Glory." It's a captivating performance that shows physicality, emotional range and makes you feel your own range of emotions as you watch it unfold on the screen. It's a deserved first Oscar win for Denzel, and a major reason why this movie is still a must-watch nearly four decades later.

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Malcolm McMillan
Malcolm McMillan
Streaming Editor

Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.

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