The final instalment of Denzel Washington’s The Equalizer franchise is quite a pleasant surprise. The deliberately slower pace during the first half might have irked me greatly had it not felt strangely meditative in a good way. 

Additionally, it isn’t the type of slow that has you doubting the filmmaker’s skills because what’s happening is still quite engaging. 

I find the pace of the first half much closer to the kind of ‘slower beginning’ that other skilled directors have utilised to great effect. To name just two examples, Blade Runner (1982) and A History of Violence (2005). 

My ability to tolerate the slow beginning is also probably helped by the film’s southern Italy/Sicily location, one of my favourite places to visit and watch on screen. 

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, The Equalizer franchise follows a man (Robert McCall) who takes it upon himself to serve unflinching justice to those who have it coming. As such, in the second half of the movie, during scenes when said justice is served, at the very least, I expected to be pleased. What I didn’t anticipate was finding myself expressing audible glee. The kind close enough to levels I had not experienced since the super evil King Joffrey Baratheon finally got all he deserved in Game of Thrones.

The Equalizer 3 is worth watching to see the satisfying way the franchise ends. It’s also for you if you like seeing bullies silenced, enjoy the beautiful sights of Sicily, and you’re into fun/thrilling action sequences that require you to leave expectations of realism safely at home. Lastly, you’ll need to be okay with gratuitous violence because there is quite a healthy serving, but not too much more than in previous Equalizer movies.

I am super glad that the Equalizer films happened. As satisfying as it has been to watch the cocky villains deservedly meet their ends, there is still only one scene that springs to mind whenever I think of the franchise. The famous gun-snatching scene from The Equalizer (2014), of course.

Watch it all, if you’re crious.

Happy Film Loving,

G