Film Journal 2023: The Equalizer 3

Film Journal 2023: The Equalizer 3
Directed by Antoine Fuqua


I noted in my review, an element that earned my deep appreciation, an intentional shift in The Equalizer 2 away from a stand alone premise about a man and his need for revenge towards a slower paced and invested character study. Given that it was the first sequel Washington had ever made, it seemed clear that this character and story was something he felt personally invested in. That payed dividends in fleshing out the story and establishing thoughtful questions on and further exploration of the nature of justice.

The Equalizer 3 slows things down even more, bringing Denzels characters personal crisis front and center. At the heart of the film is the question- are you a good man or a bad man. What the first two films established is the uncertainty of this question in relationship to this characters past and present, tied as it is to the quiet and reluctant inner battle of this vigilante. The things he hopes an equalizing form of justice can satisfy simply open up the wounds of his own past.

If the complexities of that journey frame the gradual evolution of the story in this third film, this seeming final installment helps to bring some resolution. What’s fascinating about that resolution is that it is found, through his eyes, looking outwards rather than inwards, something that provides the larger story with an effective framing device, eventually finding a real poetic resonance. The equalizing justice begins to be exposed for what it is- a cycle that cannot be satisfied and that remains mired in the corrupted nature of its demands. The thing that breaks the cycle is not a necessary punishment but a growing awareness of a world enslaved to Sin and Death, a reality that is then informed by a different way of being and belonging in this world. To learn to see the beauty before the mess, and allowing the light to inform the darkness.

This outward focus also aids this films sense of place, unfolding in the romanticism of Sicilys streets and culture. The on location cinematic presence is a considerate part of this films charm.

Overall I felt like this was a fitting conclusion to a story that, in its early going, seemed to held captive to being just another run of the mill sequel. If the sequel set the stage, this one cements its place as a legitimate and worthwhile trilogy.