Inside Man starring Denzel Washington, is now streaming on Netflix. This past weekend, the film entered the Top 10 at No. 7. The thriller stars Washington alongside Jodie Foster, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Clive Owen, and more. Released in 2006, the film follows Washinton as a no-nonsense detective who encounters a bank robber (Owen) during a hostage crisis. Madaline enters the situation (Foster). She’s a mysterious power broker with her own secrets and threatens to make a bad situation worse. The film was directed by Spike Lee. In fact, Lee is the reason Washington agreed to do the film.
“Spike called me up. I read it, and said, ‘Yes.’ It’s as simple as that,” Lee said during an interview about the movie, as reported by African American Literature Book Club. They met early on in their careers and remained champions of each other’s work. “I actually started improvising with Spike some 17 years ago on Mo’ Better Blues. That was the first time I can remember really just setting a scenario and seeing what happened. I remember this scene where we were just coming off stage, and then we go backstage and I get into an argument with Wesley Snipes’ character. That was one of the first times I sort of improvised. So, it all kinda’ started with Spike many moons ago,” Washington added.
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Like most of his projects, Washington’s performance was raved over. A review from The New York Times reads in part: “A particularly solid screenplay helps here, as do stars who can actually act — this film’s holy trinity being Denzel Washington, Clive Owen and Jodie Foster — along with an excellent supporting cast and the best lineup of pusses and mugs outside ‘The Sopranos.’”
Inside Man grossed over $184 million at the box office by the end of its theatrical run. It earned the No. 1 spot its opening weekend.
