Club Benefits
Rating: 3/5 stars
Verdict: This supernatural thriller doesn't reinvent any of the genres it dabbles in. Instead, "Fallen" delivers an enjoyable crime horror flick with a few notteworthy performances from big-name actors, including Denzel. It also delivers a major twist at the end that leaves the movie on a high note when the credits roll.
Where to watch: Buy or rent "Fallen" from Amazon
"Fallen" is this week's entry in my year-long Denzel Watchathon, and it holds the honor of being one of the few Denzel Washington movies I didn't even know existed. With 52 feature-length films to stream, there were always going to be some I hadn't seen, but I didn't even know he made this 1998 thriller.
And apparently, I'm not alone. This supernatural thriller stars Denzel as John Hobbes, a Philadelphia detective who ends up in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with a fallen angel, Azazel. This spirit likes to possess people and then uses them to wreak havoc. Or, as one character in this movie puts it, "Sadistic, left-handed, likes to sing." It had a budget of $46 million, but brought in just $25.2 million at the box office.
A big reason people might not have seen "Fallen" is that critics were mostly down on the film when it came out. It currently holds a meager 43% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes after 56 reviews. But in a shocking twist — and this movie has a shocking twist — audiences who have seen the movie in the 28 years since it's been out have liked it. It's 72% with over 50,000 ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, a 7 out of 10 on IMDb, a 4.3 out of 5 on Google Play Movies and a 4.6 out of 5 on Prime Video. After streaming it myself, there's a side in this debate that's clearly correct.
If you want to watch this movie before you read on, or to decide for yourself whether it's critics or audiences that got this movie right, I have a disappointing revelation. Like with many of Denzel's earlier films, "Fallen" isn't currently streaming on any of the best streaming services or the best free streaming services, though it's been on both in the past. Instead, you'll need to buy or rent it from Amazon or the digital storefront of your choice.
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.
Critics and audiences disagree on this thriller — and the audiences are right
Here are the other Denzel Washington movies I've covered so far in our Denzel Watchathon:
- "Carbon Copy" (1981)
- "A Soldier's Story" (1984)
- "Power" (1986)
- "Cry Freedom" (1987)
- "For Queen and Country" (1988)
- "The Mighty Quinn" (1989)
- "Glory" (1989)
- "Heart Condition" (1990)
- "Mo' Better Blues" (1990)
- "Mississippi Masala" (1991)
- "Ricochet" (1992)
- "Malcolm X" (1992)
- "Much Ado About Nothing" (1993)
- "The Pelican Brief" (1993)
- "Philadelphia" (1993)
- "Crimson Tide" (1995)
- "Virtuosity" (1995)
- "Devil in a Blue Dress" (1995)
- "Courage Under Fire" (1996)
- "The Preacher's Wife" (1996)
As I already mentioned, this movie pits Denzel against a demon. It starts out as a more traditional crime thriller; Det. Hobbes (Washington) puts a serial killer on death row, but after the execution, a copycat killer seems to emerge.
Hobbes and his partner, Jonesy (John Goodman), investigate these killings and start to think a cop could be involved, but Hobbes follows a lead to a cabin (that we see in the opening scene of the movie), where it's revealed "Azazel" is the one behind the killings. As Hobbes continues to put pieces together, he learns that Azazel is a fallen angel whose goal is to bring about the apocalypse.
Now, if you read the critical reviews of "Fallen," the chief complaint is that it recycles premises and tropes from older films. There are also criticisms about how it isn't an edge-of-your-seat thriller for the most part, despite its compelling premise.
Admittedly, that's all pretty spot on. I'd say that "Fallen" manages to be relatively thrilling all things considered (I've certainly seen less thrilling Denzel thrillers), but on the whole, those are fair critiques. But they miss that the intriguing premise produces an entertaining movie.
Azazel is a compelling villain, and as he reveals himself to Hobbes more, the more compelling he becomes. Denzel's performance is also more than serviceable; it's good, as are the supporting performances from Goodman and James Gandolfini. And the movie's final twist I found to be a fairly shocking one, even if Roger Ebert declared the surprises in this movie "mechanical and inevitable."
Verdict: "Fallen" is worth a watch for its final twist
Unfortunately, I can't dive into the best part of this movie, because it would spoil the whole movie. All I can say is that the movie, from the beginning, seems to build towards an inevitable conclusion. But at the very end, we're hit with the bait-and-switch, and we instead end up with a final moment I did not see coming until the very end. If that twist works for you, then this movie will work for you.
Now, time for a twist of my own. I've just been singing the praises of this movie for paragraphs now, and I did genuinely enjoy watching it. I think that audiences understood that this was more than passable entertainment, and critics had inflated expectations that were never met. But I wouldn't actually recommend you stream this movie; at least, not yet.
This simply comes down to price. Many of Denzel's movies so far in the Denzel Watchathon have only been available to buy or rent, but they have all been $3.99 or less. "Fallen" is currently $5.99. While that won't break the bank, there are better movies you can watch for less, including some of Denzel's works I've already reviewed to date.
But, here's the final twist: "Fallen" is coming to Netflix on Monday (June 1). So if you can just wait a few days to watch it, you can stream it as part of your subscription instead of paying $6 to rent it.
Buy or rent "Fallen" from Amazon now
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