Denzel Washington’s Unstoppable Is the Last Great Mid-Budget Action Movie of Its Era

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Tony Scott, the British director behind hits like Top Gun, True Romance, and Man on Fire, was a celebrated master of action and suspense from the 1980s to the 2000s. While his brother Ridley Scott had a distinct filmmaking style, Tony was known for his gritty, fast-paced approach combined with incredibly creative and exciting scenes – a perfect fit for the action genre. He had a knack for making intensely thrilling, high-energy movies, a skill that’s rare in today’s filmmaking landscape. Scott continued to create suspenseful films until his tragic death in 2012, with his 2010 film considered one of his finest works.

Denzel Washington and Chris Pine star in Unstoppable, marking Washington’s fifth film with director Tony Scott. Pine was coming off his breakout role in the Star Trek reboot. As with many of Scott’s movies, the film features a strong supporting cast, including Rosario Dawson, Ethan Suplee, Kevin Dunn, and T.J. Miller. Critics generally liked Unstoppable; Rotten Tomatoes gives it an 87% rating, making it the third highest-rated film directed by Scott, behind Crimson Tide and True Romance, and ahead of popular films like Top Gun and Enemy of the State.

Tony Scott Took a Train and Turned it Into a Monster

Many films feature unforgettable main characters, but Unstoppable did something different – it made the runaway train itself the terrifying antagonist. The story is straightforward: a train loaded with dangerous chemicals breaks loose due to a mistake, and two railroad workers attempt to use their expertise to halt it before it causes a major disaster in Pennsylvania.

The movie’s basic idea doesn’t seem very exciting at first, but the director skillfully builds tension and delivers thrilling action. He takes even minor details – like a leaking train car or a slight increase in speed – and transforms them into urgent, life-or-death moments. This creates a constantly escalating sense of intensity. The film’s fantastic sound design, which was even recognized with an Academy Award nomination, further enhances the excitement.

Quentin Tarantino recently shared his 20 favorite films from the 21st century. While some discussion focused on his comments about There Will Be Blood, he particularly enjoyed Unstoppable, calling it one of the best monster movies of the century. He described the train in the film as a truly frightening monster, even stronger than classic creatures like Godzilla and King Kong.

Tony Scott’s True Story-Inspired Train Film Is Finding Quiet Success on Hulu

Most people are unaware of the true story behind the movie Unstoppable. In 2001, a train in Ohio became runaway after an engineer briefly left the cab and failed to fully apply the brakes. The unmanned train traveled 66 miles across the Midwest while carrying molten phenol, the same hazardous chemical featured in the film. Interestingly, Jesse Knowlton, a crew member who actually helped stop the real train, served as a consultant on the movie.

When Unstoppable came out, it didn’t immediately become a blockbuster. While his movies generally made a profit, they didn’t achieve the massive financial success Hollywood expects.

Fortunately, the movie was relatively inexpensive to produce, costing only $100 million. Savings came from using a small main cast and a remote-controlled train. Scott is known for maximizing impact with limited resources, as his action films generally had moderate budgets compared to other big releases at the time. This focus on practical effects and keeping costs down represents a shift, since many modern action movies rely heavily on computer-generated imagery.

Recently, the film has gained a lot of popularity and become one of the most-watched movies on Hulu. Currently, excluding holiday films, Unstoppable is the third most popular trending film on the platform, following only Four Roses and Freakier Friday, both released earlier this year. That’s impressive for a 100-minute action movie about a runaway train that’s 15 years old!

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2025-12-14 06:09