Brutally violent, yet still atmospheric

Rating: 9/10 (9 February 2015)

The revenge flick is one of those subgenres Hollywood never seems to get tired of. The main reason for that is that they just look so damn easy to write: just get a gang of evil stereotypes harming someone innocent and then turn the tables, you're done. It seems like the formula really does everything for you, it just comes down to coming up with action scenes until you can finally kill of the main villain. "The Equalizer" however is a movie that shows us how much you can do with the genre if your screenwriter's not phoning it in. For example, most revenge movies make the error of barely establishing the victim, making it difficult to care when the baddies get their comeuppance. In this one Chloe Grace Moretz doesn't get much screen time, but it's not necessary: it just takes about two scenes to start caring about her character. In fact, everything about this movie seems compact yet efficient. There isn't a single scene that goes on for too long, nor is there a single boring moment. While most action movies just throw everything they have at you and see what sticks, "The Equalizer" is just a perfect puzzle: the pacing, the visual style, the almost cartoonish violence, the brilliant performance by Denzel Washington (who switches back and forth between loving friend and cruel angel of vengeance with baffling ease), everything just clicks together. "The Equalizer" is nothing you haven't seen before, but you've rarely seen it done this competently.