The Equalizer

The Equalizer is a 2014 American vigilante action-thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by Richard Wenk. It is the first installment of The Equalizer trilogy and loosely based on the 1980s TV series of the same title. The film stars Denzel Washington in the lead role, along with Marton Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz, David Harbour, Bill Pullman and Melissa Leo. In the film, a retired U.S. Marine and DIA agent reluctantly returns to action in order to protect a teenage prostitute from members of the Russian mafia. Principal photography took place in Massachusetts from May to September 2013. The world premiere for The Equalizer was held at 2014 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2014, and it was released in theaters worldwide on September 26, 2014. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed over $192 million worldwide. The sequels titled The Equalizer 2 was released on July 20, 2018 and The Equalizer 3 was released on September 1, 2023. Plot Robert McCall, a former U.S. Marine and DIA officer, now lives a quiet life in Boston, where he works at a hardware store. He helps his colleague Ralphie train to become a security guard. Unable to sleep, Robert often spends late nights reading at an all-night diner. Over time, he has befriended Teri, a teenage prostitute trafficked by the Russian mafia. The pair often talk about the books he has been reading. One evening, while taking a stroll, Teri shares that her real name is Alina and that she dreams of becoming a singer. Her pimp Slavi abruptly arrives, hits Alina, and forces her into the car. He hands a stunned Robert his business card and drives away. Alina is badly beaten and admitted to the ICU at a nearby hospital. Upon hearing the news, Robert travels there and learns from her friend Mandy, another prostitute, that Slavi is responsible. He finds Slavi and his men at their restaurant and is bluntly refused when he offers to buy Alina's freedom. Robert expertly kills the men and leaves. Unbeknownst to him, Slavi and his men were part of a much larger syndicate led by Russian oligarch Vladimir Pushkin. Teddy Rensen, Pushkin's enforcer, arrives in Boston to investigate the attack. Aided by Boston PD detectives on Pushkin's payroll, he canvases rival gangs in the area, nearly beating Irish mob lieutenant "Little John" Looney to death to send a message.