To some, Training Day might reign supreme as Denzel Washington's best crime movie — earning the all-time great actor his second Academy Award and first in a Leading Role — Netflix recently added a worthy contender for the title. Despite starring in such acclaimed crime films as Devil in a Blue Dress, Fallen, Man on Fire, American Gangster, and The Equalizer franchise, Inside Man is a superb heist thriller that reunites Washington with the inimitable Spike Lee.

Inside Man not only proves that Washington and Lee rank among the all-time best actor/director duos, but it also features outstanding supporting turns from Oscar-winner Jodie Foster and Oscar nominees Willem Dafoe, Clive Owen, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Moreover, Inside Man was a commercial and critical hit when it hit the masses in 2006, marking one of the most successful collaborations between Lee and Washington. With the two set to reunite for a remake of Akira Kurosawa's High and Low, Inside Man is a recommended crime thriller to revisit now that it's on Netflix.

What Is Inside Man About?

Directed by Spike Lee from a screenplay by Russell Gewirtz, Inside Man puts a stylish and refreshing twist on the age-old American heist movie genre. Denzel Washington stars as disgraced New York Police Detective Keith Frazier, the department's chief hostage negotiator looking to restore his reputation. The story begins in August 2005, when a bank robber named Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) orchestrates an elaborate heist of a wealthy Manhattan bank. When Frazier and his partner Bill Micthell (Ejiofor) are tasked with negotiating with Russell to free several hostages held captive inside the bank, the plot kicks into overdrive.

When the bank owner Arthur Case (Oscar-winner Christopher Plummer) is informed of the robbery, he enlists political power fixer Madeline White (Foster) to mediate between both sides. Case also instructs White to ensure a safe deposit box inside the bank is not stolen. The contents of the box include documents and valuable evidence proving that Case founded the bank using the blood money he earned from cooperating with the Nazis in the 1940s.

Without spoiling the twisty conclusion, Inside Man remains one step ahead of viewers through its expert plotting and unpredictable story revelations. As Frazier works to free the hostages inside the bank, he exposes White's complicit cover-up of Case's crime. Meanwhile, Russell comes out looking like less of a heartless bank robber and more of a vigilante antihero who exposes Case's sordid past while enriching himself in the process. Moreover, Frazier unwittingly helps Russell execute his masterminded crime and is rewarded for his work. For a movie outside Spike Lee's element, the auteur filmmaker delivers a knockout genre film that sidesteps trampled clichés and bucks tired conventions.

Inside Man's Commercial and Critical Success

Despite making his feature debut in 1986, Inside Man ranks as the highest-grossing film in Spike Lee's decorated career. The film cost roughly $45 million to produce and grossed over $186 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo). It's also the sixth highest-grossing movie of Washington's career. In addition to the financial success, Inside Man drew positive reviews from critics on par with Training Day and American Gangster, two all-time great Washington crime movies. For instance, Inside Man holds a 76 Metascore and an 86% Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score, with the latter's consensus reading:

"Spike Lee's energetic and clever bank-heist thriller is a smart genre film that is not only rewarding on its own terms, but manages to subvert its pulpy trappings with wit and skill – and Denzel Washington is terrific as a brilliant hostage negotiator."

Beyond Inside Man's critical and commercial success, the movie was listed among the 10 Best Films of 2006 by the American Film Institute. According to AFI's praise of the film:

"Inside Man is a classic heist film that vaults above genre under the direction of one of American film’s truest voices, Spike Lee. This smart and shrewd crime thriller is layered with a complicated social portrait of the United States, where everybody is out for himself. This enriches the complexity of motives, and an all-star cast makes the most of this intricate game of cat and mouse, each with an eye on stealing the show."

Although Washington gives another outstanding performance, the brilliance of Inside Man is how Washington allows his star-studded ensemble cast to shine while still delivering a credible turn. Beyond the excellent performances led by Washington, the twisty, unpredictable plot keeps viewers guessing what will happen next, escalating the tension and suspense until the showstopping finale. Between Russell's elaborate plotting with secret surveillance, staged hostage executions, and tricky bank robber disguises, Inside Man pushes the limits of a heist thriller forward with refreshing results.

The Spike Lee/Denzel Washington Factor

Inside Man marks the fourth cinematic collaboration between Spike Lee and Denzel Washington after Mo' Better Blues, Malcolm X, and He Got Game. With 16 years of experience working together, Lee and Washington fit like an old glove on Inside Man and the riveting results speak for themselves. Their creative rapport is so strong and secure that, unlike the showy starring performances in Malcolm X and He Got Game, Washington gives a more subtle and subdued turn in Inside Man to enable his costars to stand out.

According to Total Film, Washington was originally offered to play either Frazier or Russell, and the actor opted for the former, allowing Owen to take the shinier role. In the movie's production notes, Washington credits his Broadway performance as Brutus in Julius Caesar for preparing him to play Frazier, stating:

"I think it actually helped me prepare for Frazier—Russell [Gewirtz]'s script is heavy with great dialogue. My character does a lot of talking! I kind of thought of Frazier as Brutus goes to Brooklyn. For me, there is a certain rhythm and cadence of New Yorkers, and this gave me the opportunity to play a New York kind of guy who's going through a lot while dealing with this smart and challenging adversary."

By anchoring the heist thriller and allowing the Oscar-caliber ensemble cast to soar, Washington deserves credit for elevating his co-stars' performances in Inside Man. As such, it's no surprise that the film ranks as the most financially successful collaboration between Lee and Washington thus far in their careers. Now that the heist movie is new to Netflix, a whole new audience can appreciate Inside Man as one of Washington's greatest crime movies and the best joint efforts with Spike Lee. It's also worth noting that a vastly subpar sequel, Inside Man: Most Wanted, was released on Netflix in 2019.

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