---
title: "Fences"
year: 2016
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/fences"
fi1m_score: 70
critics_score: 71
critics_reviews: 23
published: "2026-09-20T07:46:34.243662+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-20T07:46:48.611153+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Fences (2016)

Directed by Denzel Washington · 2h 19m · MPA PG-13 · Drama

**Fi1m score: 70** · Critics 71 from 23 reviews

*In a sentence:* A man builds a fence, talks about death and baseball, and the camera never once thinks of leaving the yard

> Denzel Washington films August Wilson’s play with the camera at a respectful distance and the actors at full volume. Washington and Viola Davis are as good as the reviews say; the direction rarely does more than keep them in frame.

## Synopsis

Pittsburgh, the 1950s. Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) collects rubbish, lifting the bins while white men drive the trucks. On Friday he comes home with his pay and a bottle of gin and holds court in the back yard with his workmate Jim Bono (Stephen McKinley Henderson), while his wife Rose (Viola Davis) listens from the kitchen door. His younger son Cory (Jovan Adepo) has a college football recruiter coming to the house; Troy, who hit home runs in the Negro leagues and never got to the majors, wants him at the grocery store instead. His older son Lyons (Russell Hornsby) drops by for ten dollars, his brother Gabriel (Mykelti Williamson), wounded in the war, wanders the street with a trumpet, and Rose wants the fence round the yard finished.

## Review

Denzel Washington has filmed August Wilson’s play about as faithfully as a play can be filmed. Troy Maxson hauls rubbish in Pittsburgh in the 1950s, comes home on a Friday with his pay and a bottle of gin, and holds court in his back yard for most of the film’s 139 minutes. Washington directs himself in the part, with Viola Davis as his wife Rose, and the screenplay is credited to Wilson alone. What you get is a fine record of a great play and not much of a film, and it is worth knowing that before you sit down.

The play is the reason to come. Troy is a talker. He tells Bono and Rose how he wrestled Death for three days and won, how he hit home runs off pitchers better than any the white leagues had, and why the white leagues never had him. Washington plays him at full stretch, laughing at his own jokes and swinging a bat at a rag ball tied to the tree, and then, when his son Cory (Jovan Adepo) asks why his father has never liked him, going quiet and answering honestly. It is a big performance and it is meant to be. Troy fills the yard because there is nowhere else he is allowed to fill.

Davis has less to say for the first hour and uses every second of it. Rose stands in the kitchen doorway drying her hands, laughs at stories she has heard a hundred times and corrects the details. You can watch her keeping the house level while her husband talks. Stephen McKinley Henderson, as Bono, is the friend who knows how long to let Troy go on and when to change the subject, and his scenes are the quietest and among the best. Mykelti Williamson plays Troy’s brother Gabriel, damaged in the war and wandering the streets with a trumpet, and does not overplay him, which is harder than it sounds. Russell Hornsby’s Lyons turns up on Fridays for ten dollars and takes the lecture that comes with it.

Charlotte Bruus Christensen shoots the yard in flat, unlovely daylight, the brick a dull red and the grass mostly dirt. David Gropman gives the Maxsons a narrow house hemmed in by the neighbours’ walls, a pile of timber Troy never quite gets round to and the tree with the rag ball. Sharen Davis puts Troy in work clothes he has not changed and Rose in house dresses and an apron. Marcelo Zarvos keeps his score to a few bars of piano between scenes and stays out of the arguments. Hughes Winborne cuts within the speeches sparingly and holds on whichever face is listening.

What Washington has not done is direct a film. He has put the camera roughly where a seat in the stalls would be and let it watch. The lines are spoken at a volume built for the back row, and with the camera two feet from Troy’s face they land harder than they should. There are excursions, to the street, the bar, the depot where Troy wants to be the man driving the truck rather than the one lifting the bins, and they feel like a director stepping outside for air and coming straight back. After the emotional peak of the second half there is half an hour still to go, and the film gets through it dutifully.

And yet. There is a scene in the yard, in the second half, that we will not describe, in which Rose finally answers her husband. Davis does it with her face wet and her voice not yet raised, and we noticed we had stopped breathing. Before that we had spent an hour being angry at Troy in the way you are angry at a relative, for the pride and the jokes and the son he cannot see straight, and the anger is what makes the scene land. The play knows this. The film, to its credit, gets out of the way.

Washington directed *Antwone Fisher* (2002) and *The Great Debaters* (2007) before this, and this is the steadiest of the three, because the material is stronger and he trusts it. It is also the one that most resembles a play with a camera in it. If you know Wilson, or want to, there is no better way to meet Troy Maxson short of a theatre. If you were hoping for cinema, you will spend some of those 139 minutes waiting for the camera to do something, and it will not.

*Fi1m score 70, published 20 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics like it, and nearly all of them like it for the same reason: the acting. Denzel Washington’s ageing, embittered patriarch and Viola Davis’s proud, wounded wife are praised in almost every review, with Davis’s central monologue named more often than anything else in the film. August Wilson’s dialogue is the other constant. Reviewers with doubts about everything else still admire the writing, and several credit Washington’s direction for standing back and letting the actors carry it.

The reservations are about the same thing too. Almost every review, warm or cool, calls the film stage-bound; the disagreement is only over whether that matters. The generous camp says the words and performances are enough. The sceptics say a play filmed this faithfully is barely a film at all. The spread is wide. The Playlist finds it static and long-winded, Slant thinks Washington’s direction timid, and Vulture prefers Henderson to either lead. Nobody disputes the performances.

### Reviews we read (23)

- **Empire**, Terri White (90/100, inferred): The critic lauds the film's faithful adaptation and the complex, powerful lead performances, especially Washington's and Davis's. She highlights its substantive dialogue and emotional depth as worth the effort despite its stage-bound style. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/fences-review/)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Odie Henderson (85/100, inferred): The film succeeds by focusing on the powerful writing and committed performances rather than opening up the play cinematically. Washington’s direction supports the actors, with Viola Davis delivering an especially devastating monologue. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/fences-2016)
- **Screen Daily** (80/100, inferred): Washington’s marvellous adaptation provides the actor-director with one of his finest roles and a powerhouse performance as an ageing patriarch undone by pride, stupidity and bitterness. With Davis equally magnificent, it is a deeply affecting treatise on marriage, poverty and the struggles of sons. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/fences-review/5111445.article)
- **The Telegraph**, Tim Robey (4/5): Washington’s direction stays very close to the stage original, resulting in a talky but powerful showcase for the two stars. Davis in particular gives a sensational, Oscar-worthy performance that anchors the drama. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/fences-review-denzel-washington-viola-davis-make-sensational/)
- **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (4/5): Washington directs and stars in a powerful, respectful, occasionally shouty screen version of the play that is muscular, solid and sturdy. Davis is the star of the show as the hurt, proud and determined wife in this hothouse domestic drama. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/fences)
- **Total Film** (80/100, inferred): The critic commends Washington and Davis for excelling in this well-crafted drama that brings August Wilson's words to a wider audience. She singles out the strong performances and celebration of spoken word while noting some pacing issues after the emotional peak. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/fences-review/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (75/100, inferred): The film is a faithful, stagy transfer of the August Wilson play that serves primarily as a showcase for its two lead performances. Washington and Davis deliver towering, committed work that builds to moments of real emotional force. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/nov/22/fences-review-denzel-washington-viola-davis-august-wilson)
- **Variety**, Owen Gleiberman (75/100, inferred): Washington and Davis deliver towering performances in this compelling but episodic adaptation that feels prestigious and weighty, with strong dialogue and acting offset by a sense of top-heavy importance. [Read](https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/fences-review-denzel-washington-1201921332/)
- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (70/100, inferred): The critic praises the powerhouse performances of Denzel Washington and Viola Davis as the highlight that overcomes any flaws. She criticizes the overly faithful, stagey direction and some convenient plot elements. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/fences-film-review-feel-the-pain-as-denzel-washington-and-viola-davis-take-centre-stage-a3679946.html)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (70/100, inferred): The film is stagebound and reverent to the play’s language, limiting its cinematic energy, but powerhouse acting and Wilson’s dialogue make the key moments essential and moving. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-fences-review-20161209-story.html)
- **The AV Club**, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky (B-): Praises Washington's performance and cast but criticizes the film's inconsistent direction and failure to capture the epic qualities of the play. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/denzel-washington-shines-in-an-inconsistent-adaptation-1798189872)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy (70/100, inferred): The critic praises the faithful adaptation and stellar performances by Washington and Davis but notes it remains too theatrical and lacks cinematic innovation. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/fences-review-946013/)
- **Little White Lies**, David Jenkins (4/3/3): The critic finds this a faithful but stage-bound adaptation where the richness and intensity of the play does not fully make the jump to screen. Viola Davis steals the show with a performance that monitors a change in temperament from dutiful wife to bruised avenger. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/fences/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Chuck Bowen (50/100, inferred): The critic commends the cast's powerful performances and the play's vitality but faults Washington's timid direction for not fully realizing its cinematic potential. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/fences/)
- **Vulture** (50/100, inferred): The review finds the film stuck between stage and screen, intelligent but not fully cinematic or theatrical, with strong performances especially from Henderson. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2016/12/movie-review-fences.html)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (90/100, inferred): The review hails the film as a cinematic document of Wilson's masterpiece, highlighting Viola Davis's explosive, heartbreaking performance as the standout, along with strong work from the cast including Washington. They single out the dense, high-level dialogue and Washington's respectful direction that lets the actors shine without flashy techniques. [Read](https://deadline.com/2016/12/fences-review-denzel-washington-viola-davis-august-wilson-video-1201871697/)
- **The Wrap**, Robert Abele (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Washington's surest directorial effort yet and the powerful performances by Washington and Viola Davis in adapting August Wilson's play about an African-American patriarch in 1950s Pittsburgh. They single out the richly evocative writing and the actors' ability to bring complex marital dynamics and family tensions to vivid life. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/fences-review-denzel-washington-viola-davis/)
- **HeyUGuys**, Stefan Pape (4/5): The film feels like a stage play throughout but the rich dialogue and exceptional performances make it compelling anyway. The cast, especially Viola Davis and Denzel Washington, deliver standout work in this portrait of family and societal tensions. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/fences-review/)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (B): Praises the powerhouse performances of Washington and Davis as the film's highlight and Oscar-worthy, while noting Washington’s growth as director. Complains that the film feels overly long and stage-bound despite its relevance. [Read](https://collider.com/fences-movie-review/)
- **Paste**, Andy Crump (7.4): Calls it a masterwork for its acting showcase and powerful, relevant themes but a pedestrian cinematic achievement too devoted to its theatrical roots. Singles out the strong performances and dialogue as the main draws. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/fences/fences)
- **Den of Geek**, Don Kaye (3/5): The film is a solid but stage-bound adaptation of August Wilson's play, elevated primarily by the powerhouse performances of Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. It struggles to transcend its theatrical origins, with dialogue that feels artificial on screen and a pace that becomes tedious over its long runtime. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/culture/fences-review/)
- **Consequence** (45/100, inferred): Notes the play's power and vivid language with great performances but finds the adaptation feels like a filmed production without enough cinematic translation. Praises the cast and dialogue while complaining it remains too stage-bound. [Read](https://consequence.net/2016/12/film-review-fences/)
- **The Playlist**, Rodrigo Perez (2/5): The adaptation is overly faithful to the source play, resulting in a static, uncinematic filmed version that lacks inspiration despite the strong cast. Its high fidelity to the text makes it feel enclosed and longwinded. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/high-fidelity-doesnt-help-denzel-washingtons-padlocked-fences-review-20161122/)

## Details

- **Director:** Denzel Washington
- **Director:** Denzel Washington
- **Screenplay:** August Wilson
- **Cinematography:** Charlotte Bruus Christensen
- **Editor:** Hughes Winborne
- **Music:** Marcelo Zarvos
- **Production design:** David Gropman
- **Costume design:** Sharen Davis
- **Producer:** Todd Black, Scott Rudin, Denzel Washington
- **Cast:** Denzel Washington as Troy Maxson; Viola Davis as Rose Maxson; Stephen McKinley Henderson as Jim Bono; Jovan Adepo as Cory Maxson; Russell Hornsby as Lyons Maxson; Mykelti Williamson as Gabriel Maxson; Saniyya Sidney as Raynell Maxson; Lesley Boone as Evangelist Preacher
- **Runtime:** 2h 19m
- **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13
- **Release (the US):** 25 December 2016
- **Genres:** Drama
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Nominee, 2016)
- **Budget:** $24 million
- **Box office:** $64 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spCxVd9ctFs

## Where to watch in the US

- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd
- Apple TV: rent $5.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-20.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2017: Best Actor (nominated); Best Picture (nominated); Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated); Best Supporting Actress (won)

## If you liked this

- *Ma Rainey's Black Bottom* (2020): Another Wilson play on film, Davis again, and a hotter afternoon in one room.
- *A Raisin in the Sun* (1961): Sidney Poitier’s Walter Lee is Troy’s restless cousin; the flat is even smaller.
- *Killer of Sheep* (1978), Fi1m 90: A slaughterhouse worker in Watts, his family and his tiredness, shot on the street in black and white. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/killer-of-sheep.md)
- *Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?* (1966), Fi1m 86: A marriage argued out over one long night by people who trusted the words. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/whos-afraid-of-virginia-woolf.md)
- *Tokyo Story* (1953), Fi1m 92: Parents and grown children fail each other gently, in Ozu’s still, low frames. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/tokyo-story.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/fences