Fences

2016 • 138 minutes
4.2
1.83K reviews
92%
Tomatometer
PG-13
Rating
Eligible
Watch in a web browser or on supported devices Learn More

About this movie

Some people build fences to keep people out - and other people build fences to keep people in. Academy Award winner® Denzel Washington and Academy Award nominee® Viola Davis deliver the year's most powerful performances in the film adaptation of August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Fences. Set in 1950s Pittsburgh, the film takes a passionate look at former Negro-league baseball player Troy Maxson (Washington) as he fights to provide for those he loves in a world that threatens to push him down. Washington's directorial triumph pulses with the universal truths of love, forgiveness, and happiness despite what lies beyond your own fence.
Rating
PG-13

Ratings and reviews

4.2
1.83K reviews
Dorian Lozano
February 7, 2017
[SPOILER FREE] I see a lot of people complaining about the dialogue and saying its boring and it seems like a play. THATS BECAUSE IT IS A PLAY YOU MORON! Its a play adapted into a film. Now onto the review This movie has little to no action scenes. Which I think is a breath of fresh air. I say little because obviously there a few confrontations between the son and father where they push and shove, but there are no explosions, no gun shots or anything. Right off the bat. I LOVE this movie. It is dialogue and story driven. Its all talking. Most of the movie takes place in the backyard and/or the house. What makes up for no action is the performances. In my opinion, its both Viola Davis's and Denzel Washington's best acting performance I've ever seen. The dialogue is so believable and it really feels like you're in the 50's. The way they talk, their style and the people around them. Very little does the dialogue ever seem corny or cheesy. The story itself moves at a slow pace. But I enjoy backstories.
270 people found this review helpful
Rosalyn Weaver
September 24, 2020
Re-watched this recently with my significant other, who was seeing it for the first time. It reminded me of two important things about movies. 1. This was the movie that made me (and the rest of the world based on the number of awards won) say: VIOLA DAVIS IS AMAZING AND ONE OF THE BEST ACTRESSES I'VE EVER SEEN. 2. Denzel Washington's acting permiates the words and humanizes the character.. in every movie he does!! Emotional and relatable.
Hemant T
March 14, 2018
If you are in the mood for a Broadway Style Drama with a lot of great performances and really good dialogues, this movie is a great one. Very well performed across the board with a real sense of the period that it depicts. It has some powerful scenes between Denzel Washington and Viola Davis and every person who wants to watch great acting will get fulfillment out of it. Be warned that this is a super dramatic picture, sononly watch if you are in the mood for something this serious. I highly recommend this film especially because the story brings to light several aspects of the African American experience and society of that time period in Pittsburgh.