This Denzel Washington Thriller is A Forgotten Gem—And It’s Streaming Now On Max
It’s difficult to think of a more versatile actor working today than Denzel Washington. He is truly a chameleon. Although Washington is well known for playing good guy roles, it’s nice to see him appear as a morally flexible character from time to time. In Carl Franklin’s Out of Time, Washington gets to do just that. His charm and charisma make him a smart choice to play a character who colors outside the lines. He’s got a soothing screen presence that makes it easy to relate to him despite certain character flaws.
Out of Time follows Banyan Key Police Chief Matthias Whitlock (Washington), a good man with bad judgment. Chief Whitlock loves the community he has been charged with protecting, but he’s reeling from a pending divorce, has a tendency to drink on the job, and has become entangled with a married woman. His entanglement with said woman causes unwanted strife when she turns up dead under mysterious circumstances. And then there’s the small matter of Chief Whitlock having recently embezzled funds from a DEA seizure to help his late mistress pay for an experimental treatment. Whoops. His shady dealings quickly catch up to him and the lawman must spin a twisted web of misdirection and outright deceit to evade detection and bring the true perpetrator(s) to justice.
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Screenwriter Dave Collard dreams up plenty of nerve-shredding scenarios to put our flawed hero through the wringer while he attempts to stay off the radar of fellow law enforcement officers. The phone records sequence near the film’s midway point is especially unnerving. We watch as Chief Whitlock scrambles to create a distraction while doctoring evidence to cover his tracks so the investigating officers don’t learn his secret prematurely. Director Carl Franklin frames the action for maximum effect and utilizes thoughtful editing to enhance the tension.
Washington could have easily phoned his performance in. But he makes Chief Whitlock relatable via a nuanced showing that paints the character in a flattering light despite his flaws. He is scripted with a handful of redeeming qualities. But Washington makes Matthias far more likable than he probably should be. It would be easy to write that piece off as a byproduct of the actor’s effortless charm. But there’s far more to it than that. Washington understands how to ingratiate himself to the audience and remain endearing when he’s not entirely likable on paper.
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Washington’s costar John Billingsley may not have the range of his Oscar-winning counterpart, but he still manages to steal nearly every scene in which he appears as Chae. That’s thanks in part to effective screenwriting. But Billingsley plays the character with a mischievous twinkle in his eye that’s quite charming. He’s the comic relief, a loveable scoundrel who always shows up when it counts. In addition to delivering a handful of comical one-liners, Chae also gets the chance to join the action near the end and lends Chief Whitlock a much-needed hand.
Though some of the major plot points follow a pretty standard formula, Out of Time differentiates itself by making Chief Whitlock and Chae complex characters who exist in a moral grey area. They aren’t bad people. But they aren’t entirely forthright, either. That distinction sets this thriller apart from most escapist fare with black-and-white hero and villain tropes.
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With Washington in the lead role, it’s surprising that Out of Time wasn’t a bigger box-office hit. The film narrowly recouped its budget during its theatrical bow. The picture pulled in a total of $55.5 million against estimated production costs of $50 million. But don’t let the substandard box office yield fool you. Although some might accuse the film of being formulaic, this feature is also intense and exciting and features an impressive performance from Washington as the morally flexible lead.
Out of Time may not tread a great deal of new ground, but it effectively executes familiar tropes and delivers a thrilling escape from reality. Anyone who enjoys a twisty whodunnit is sure to find much to appreciate about Out of Time. If you’re keen to check out this underrated effort, you can do just that on HBO’s Max platform as of the publication of this post.
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