One of Denzel Washington’s most underrated movies is on TV tonight

Shockingly, the movie received poor reviews upon release. However, it’s now considered a classic.

Named the greatest actor of the 21st century by The New York Times in 2020, Denzel Washington has had an incredible career.

Yet, he has had a couple of movies that went underappreciated upon release before developing cult followings years later.

We have highlighted his 1998 effort – and only supernatural film to date – Fallen before, but another that falls into this camp is 2004’s Man on Fire.

Directed by Washington’s frequent collaborator Tony Scott and based on the novel of the same name, the actor stars as John Creasy – a former CIA man struggling with alcoholism, burnout and guilt over his actions while with the agency.

With the help of his longtime friend (Christopher Walken), he gets a job as a bodyguard for a young girl named Pita (Dakota Fanning), whose father runs a big business in Mexico City.

Creasy finds a newfound purpose in life looking after Pita. However, when the child is kidnapped, her protector uses his CIA skills to launch a one-man war against the people responsible.

Man on Fire is on Film4 tonight at 9pm.

Here are the other movies on TV tonight:

Four Weddings and a Funeral - BBC Three - 9pm

Richard Curtis's comedy, with Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, John Hannah, Charlotte Coleman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Simon Callow and James Fleet.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall - TG4 - 9.30pm

A musician is devastated when his actress girlfriend leaves him, and he tries to cure his broken heart with a holiday in Hawaii.

American Pie 2 - E4 - 10pm

The teenagers reunite after their first year at college to spend the summer at a lake house.

Runaway Jury - Legend - 10.55pm

Thriller, adapted from a novel by John Grisham, starring John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Weisz and Bruce Davison.

Await Further Instructions - Legend Xtra - 1am

A family wakes up on Christmas morning to discover they are trapped indoors, and receive a series of increasingly disturbing instructions through their television set.