Fences Earns Widespread Acclaim
Denzel Washington's powerful adaptation of August Wilson's play is coming to Hastings, with a chance to see this highly acclaimed film on the big screen. The film has garnered numerous awards and nominations, including an Oscar win for Viola Davis.
Dir: Denzel Washington
Cast: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson, Saniyya Sidney, Lesley Boone
139 mins · 2016 · United States of America, Canada · Cert 12A · English
IMDb 7.2/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 92% · Metacritic 79/100 · TMDB 6.9/10 · Trakt 74%
Awards: Won 1 Oscar. 60 wins & 123 nominations total
The film Fences has achieved an impressive array of scores, with a 7.2/10 rating on IMDb, 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, 79/100 on Metacritic, 6.9/10 on TMDB, and 74% on Trakt. These scores are a testament to the film's powerful storytelling and outstanding performances. Denzel Washington directs and stars in this adaptation of August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, which tells the story of a working-class African-American family in 1950s Pittsburgh. The film follows Troy Maxson, a sanitation worker and former baseball player, as he navigates his relationships with his wife Rose and their son, struggling with regret, pride, and duty.
The film features a talented cast, including Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson, Saniyya Sidney, and Lesley Boone. With a runtime of 139 minutes, Fences is a drama that explores themes of family, race, and identity. The film's certificate is 12A, and it is in English. The tagline, "Some people build fences to keep people out, and other people build fences to keep people in," hints at the complex relationships and emotional struggles that are at the heart of the story.
Fences has received widespread critical acclaim, with many praising the performances of the cast, particularly Viola Davis's Oscar-winning performance. The film's screenplay, adapted from August Wilson's play, has also been praised for its powerful and poetic dialogue. The film's direction, handled by Denzel Washington, has been commended for its thoughtful and nuanced approach to the material. While some viewers have found the film's pace to be slow and the dialogue to be overwhelming, others have appreciated the film's quiet power and the performances of the cast.
The Electric Palace in Hastings will be screening Fences on Sunday, 22 November 2026 at 15:00, as part of the Hidden Beach Winter of Culture film season. Tickets and details for this screening can be found with the button beside this article. This is a unique opportunity to see this highly acclaimed film on the big screen, and to experience the powerful performances and thoughtful direction that have made Fences a standout film.
Stills
What viewers say
flipper07 · 8/10
Why is it when Denzel is in a movie he NEVER disappoints. He is in a league of his own. Viola is quickly becoming the same.
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WiseWTF · 5/10
Good performances aren't holy. They can't mend to a cliché, long, boring story. My vote is only sustained by Viola Davis, who was outstandingly good. Not her fault the rest... simply isn't there.
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jsneor
A great cast, but quite boring and way too wordy (that a word?) sorry to say. Indeed sometimes plays do not work well as movies. I attempted twice to finish and fell asleep both times. Oh well Denzel, you can't win them all.
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laxasaurusrex · 9/10
To be honest I don't agree with some of the other comments, plays are by their structure dialogue heavy, they carry emotion; the actors carry the weight in their reactions, their tone, their performance. This film with no doubt in my mind carries all that to the screen. The performances by Viola and Denzel were perfect, without a doubt carrying forward the stage cast gave the film the depth which could have easily been lost.
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Bradym03 · 6/10
"Some people build fences to keep people out, and other people build fences to keep people in". 'Fences' is what I call an "actors movie". Great acting all round, good story, and a easy straight forward narrative. Other than that, it falls flat. Denzel directing is bland and the film has a lot of pacing issues, as I felt the runtime. Of course this was based on a stage play and it sure feels like it even watching it. Because every monologue has…
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Lee Brown Barrow · 8/10
Can't quite escape its stage origins, but the film does exude a quiet power. A fine acting showcase too.
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FinFan · 5/10
From the other comments I can see it is a controversial movie. I was about an hour into the it when I decided to stop. I can not remember ever having seen a movie with that much dialogue and so little content. For me it was total overkill. I could not make out any sense in the story and was discouraged by the endless dialogue to continue to find out.
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JeanRausseo
I Didn't find it that good as the critics say, it's too long for that type of story. And I really hated that Troy, he was annoying and speak too much. It's an excellent performance from Washington but I just hated the character. And what makes the movie is actually that, the performances of Davis and Washington, remove that and all you have is a dull movie.
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