25 Years Later, Denzel Washington’s 10/10 Crime Thriller Is Finally Streaming for Free

With a million streaming services and nothing to watch, it is a joy when a certifiable classic hits a free platform. Denzel Washington continues to have mass appeal, but his early work in Antoine Fuqua’s Training Day remains one of the best crime dramas out there. A natural successor to police dramas like Heat, the fan-favorite movie weaves together the complex narrative of cops and criminals.

Also starring Ethan Hawke, Training Day takes place over the course of one rookie narcotics officer’s first shift. Jake (Hawke) undergoes a rigorous training day that will determine if he is allowed to join Detective Alonzo Harris’ (Washington) squad. Almost immediately, Jake discovers that this will not be easy. Alonzo and his squad are heavily corrupt, not even hesitating to pocket evidence money for themselves.

Jake’s instinct is to be by the book, but the more time he spends with Alonzo, the more he realizes that his life is on the line if he doesn’t get with the program. Training Day is a fascinating study of what the police believe is necessary for the greater good of law enforcement. Decades before the Baltimore corruption scandal depicted in We Own This City, Washington’s award-winning film had its finger on the pulse of current events.

Denzel Washington Had a Career-Defining Performance in ‘Training Day’

• Image via © Warner Bros. / Courtesy: Everett Collection

• Image via © Warner Bros. / Courtesy: Everett Collection

• Image via © Warner Bros. / Courtesy: Everett Collection

• Image via © Warner Bros. / Courtesy: Everett Collection

• Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

• Image via © Warner Bros. / Courtesy: Everett Collection

• Image via © Warner Bros. / Courtesy: Everett Collection

• Image via © Warner Bros. / Courtesy: Everett Collection

• Image via © Warner Bros. / Courtesy: Everett Collection

• Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Now on Tubi, fans can relive what it felt like to see a truly gripping story with some of the best actors of the age. Ethan Hawke is a practiced performer in the industry, amassing many accolades and nominations. There is no movie without Jake’s ambition causing him to consider if he should engage in corruption. However, there can be no doubt that Training Day rests on the shoulders of Denzel Washington’s immense talent.

The actor’s performance as Alonzo Harris earned him his second Academy Award win and became one of his most quotable characters. Washington brings powerful charisma to the role that was definitive for his career. As Jake is tempted by the seductive nature of Alonzo’s world, so too is the audience.

Jake’s ambitions intersect directly with what Alonzo is trying to make him do. Because of his desire to move up the ranks, Jake considers taking the easy route and bending to Alonzo’s rules. On his squad, everyone takes a cut. The deeper Jake seeps into this corrupt atmosphere, however, the more terrifying it becomes. The seasoned detective blackmails Jake into smoking PCP-laced weed to hold it over his head later.

Alonzo’s life has been a series of give-and-take until, eventually, he runs out of time. This all culminates in the famous climactic scene where Jake holds Alonzo at gunpoint in front of an entire neighborhood. Washington’s King Kong monologue is a masterclass in acting, holding all of the characters at attention even when they despise him. This is the crux of Alonzo’s character. He gained control for so long because of his charisma, but in the end, his greed gets the better of him.

This is a startling sequence, especially compared to the final scene of the movie. Alonzo’s crimes finally get the better of him, and he is gunned down. Despite all he has done, he is remembered as a decorated officer who was killed in the line of duty. Training Day outlines the hypocrisy and corruption rampant in the police, which has become more relevant now than ever. The movie remains a classic for a reason and a hallmark of Washington’s celebrated work.

Training Day