Recap
Robert McCall now lives a quiet life in a Boston apartment complex, working as a Lyft driver. He continues to be a silent guardian, righting wrongs for the innocent he encounters – from rescuing a kidnapped child in Istanbul (a seemingly unrelated cold open that showcases his enduring capabilities) to helping an elderly Holocaust survivor, Sam (Orson Bean), reunite with a long-lost painting of his sister. He also takes a troubled local youth, Miles Whittaker (Ashton Sanders), an aspiring artist teetering on the edge of gang life, under his wing, offering guidance and a path away from violence.
McCall’s carefully constructed peace is shattered when his close friend and former DIA colleague, Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo), is brutally murdered in Brussels while investigating an apparent murder-suicide of an agency asset. Susan was one of the few people who knew McCall was alive and understood his past. Her death ignites a cold fury in McCall.
His own investigation, aided by his old training and instincts, quickly reveals that Susan’s death was no random robbery gone wrong. It was a targeted assassination, and the murder-suicide she was looking into was also a setup. McCall initially teams up with Dave York (Pedro Pascal), his former DIA partner and team leader, who now works as a freelance operative. However, McCall’s sharp intellect soon pieces together the horrifying truth: York and the rest of their former elite team – Kovac (Garett Kruithof), Ari (Kazy Tauginas), and Resnik (Jonathan Scarfe) – are behind Susan’s murder.
York confesses that after McCall’s supposed death years ago and the subsequent disbandment of their unit, they became highly skilled mercenaries, taking on assassination contracts. Susan, in her investigation, was getting too close to exposing their current operation, which involved the staged murder in Brussels. Realizing she would uncover their treachery, York and his team eliminated her.
What follows is a deadly game of cat and mouse. McCall systematically hunts down his former comrades, while they, in turn, try to eliminate him. The conflict culminates in McCall’s evacuated, storm-battered seaside hometown during a hurricane. York and his team, in a desperate attempt to gain leverage, kidnap Miles, forcing a final, brutal confrontation.
Character Analysis
Robert McCall (Denzel Washington): Washington embodies McCall with a quiet intensity and simmering power. He’s a man of profound discipline, driven by a deep sense of justice and an almost monastic code. In this sequel, his stoicism is tested by the deeply personal nature of the betrayal. We see glimpses of his past life and the love he lost, making his quest for vengeance both brutal and poignant. His mentorship of Miles reveals a desire to steer others from the path of violence he himself has walked.
Dave York (Pedro Pascal): Pascal’s York is the dark mirror to McCall. Once a trusted teammate and friend, he represents the corruption of ideals and the seductive allure of power and money. York’s justification for his actions – that they were abandoned and merely adapted – rings hollow against the backdrop of his ruthlessness. He is a formidable physical and intellectual opponent for McCall, making their inevitable clash all the more compelling.
Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo): Though her screen time is limited, Susan’s presence looms large. She represents McCall’s connection to a past where loyalty and honor meant something. Her warmth and intelligence make her murder all the more impactful, providing the emotional catalyst for McCall’s rampage.
Miles Whittaker (Ashton Sanders): Miles serves as the film’s moral compass and a potential path to redemption, not just for himself but, symbolically, for McCall. He is a talented kid at a crossroads, tempted by the streets but ultimately drawn to McCall’s quiet strength and wisdom. His kidnapping raises the stakes and forces McCall to confront the potential collateral damage of his violent world.
Ending Explained
The hurricane-swept, deserted coastal town becomes the atmospheric battleground for McCall’s vengeance. He uses his intimate knowledge of the terrain and his tactical genius to isolate and eliminate each member of York’s team:
- Kovac is impaled with a speargun in a tackle shop.
- Ari is dispatched with knives after a tense stalk through the stormy streets.
- Resnik is lured into McCall’s wife’s old bakery, where McCall triggers a flour dust explosion using Resnik’s own stun grenade.
The final showdown is between McCall and York atop a watchtower overlooking the raging sea. York, having previously revealed he has Miles tied up in the trunk of his car, taunts McCall. After a brutal hand-to-hand fight, where McCall endures being shot and stabbed, he manages to gain the upper hand. In a chilling echo of Susan’s murder (a knife to the abdomen and a slash to the neck), McCall kills York, his former brother-in-arms, and sends his body plummeting into the violent waves below.
With the storm subsiding, McCall rescues Miles. The ending sees a return to a fragile sense of order. McCall, using information Susan had gathered, helps Sam reunite with his long-lost sister. Miles, having survived the ordeal and seemingly heeded McCall’s advice, finishes a powerful mural on the apartment complex’s community garden wall and returns to school, focusing on his art. McCall, having avenged Susan and protected Miles, looks out from his apartment, still a watchful protector, but now carrying even deeper scars. The implication is that while justice has been served, the emotional toll is immense, and his past will always be a part of him.
How did McCall find out Dave was involved? What’s up with the phone call?
McCall suspected someone close was involved once he realized the killing of Susan (Melissa Leo) was not random. After confronting various people and uncovering pieces of the conspiracy, he orchestrated a setup to confirm his suspicion about Dave York (Pedro Pascal).
McCall gave Dave the phone as a test. It was already set to receive a call from another line McCall had access to. Once Dave casually pocketed it, McCall walked away and remotely triggered the phone to ring. When Dave instinctively took the call, McCall watched, and confirmed he still used a burner or that number. That moment wasn’t about a contact list but about gauging Dave’s reaction.
McCall likely didn’t have Dave’s current number (since Dave believed him to be dead), but McCall could call the burner number he pulled from previous investigation leads.
Why did the flashbang blow up the building? What about the flour?
Flour is combustible:
Finely ground flour suspended in the air can become highly explosive when exposed to a spark or blast, it’s called a dust explosion. Grain silos and bakeries have had real accidents like this.
What McCall did:
He used flour as a trap. When the flashbang landed in the flour, the heat and small explosion from the device ignited the dust particles suspended in the air, causing a much larger secondary explosion.
His strategy:
McCall knew they’d use flashbangs and created an environment where they’d literally trigger their own destruction. The explosion temporarily disoriented or injured them, giving him a tactical edge, combined with the fan spreading the flour, it also obscured visibility, making it perfect for McCall’s ambush.
Was York still part of the agency or contracted?
York was no longer officially with the agency.
He had left (or was discharged), but like many former operatives, he remained connected to black ops through informal or rogue channels. This is implied in how he talks to McCall, as if they both walked away from the official world but still know how it works.
So, he wasn’t moonlighting under agency orders, nor was he officially contracted. He was operating as a private mercenary, doing covert wet work for clients with agendas, not sanctioned missions.
Analysis
Justice vs. Revenge: While McCall always operates on the side of justice for the oppressed, Susan’s murder pushes him firmly into the realm of personal revenge. The film doesn’t shy away from the brutality of this quest, forcing the audience to consider the cost of an eye for an eye.
The Unshakeable Past: McCall’s attempts to live a quiet, anonymous life are ultimately futile. His past skills and connections, particularly the betrayal by his former team, drag him back into the world he tried to leave behind. The film suggests that one can never truly escape who they were.
Mentorship and Second Chances: The subplot with Miles is crucial. McCall sees an opportunity to guide a young man away from a life of violence and crime, offering him the kind of mentorship he perhaps never received or can no longer access. It’s a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness.
Betrayal and Loyalty: The core conflict revolves around the ultimate betrayal by those McCall once trusted with his life. This highlights the fragility of loyalty when faced with greed and moral decay, and underscores the profound value of true friendship, as represented by Susan.
Is The Equalizer 2 Based on Real Life Story?
Like its predecessor, is based on the 1980s television series of the same name created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim. However, the specific plot of the film is entirely fictional. There are no direct, documented real-life stories that mirror the events of Dave York and his team of rogue DIA operatives becoming contract killers in this manner, nor Robert McCall’s specific vigilante activities as depicted.
The film draws on the broader tropes of black-ops agents and covert government activities, but it remains firmly in the realm of action-thriller fiction. The emotional core of friendship, betrayal, and mentorship, however, are universal human experiences.
Review
The Equalizer 2 received mixed to positive reviews from critics, while audiences generally responded more favorably, particularly to Denzel Washington’s performance and the action sequences.
Rotten Tomatoes: The film has a Tomatometer score of 52% based on 210 critic reviews, classifying it as “Rotten.” The critics’ consensus reads: “The Equalizer 2 delivers the visceral charge of a standard vigilante thriller, but this reunion of trusted talents ultimately proves a disappointing case of diminishing returns.” However, the Audience Score is slightly higher at 60% from over 5,000 verified ratings. Critics were more divided, with some praising Washington’s performance and Fuqua’s direction of action, while others found the story formulaic and less compelling than the original. The expansion of McCall’s personal story received mixed reactions.
IMDb: The film holds a rating of 6.7/10 based on over 216,000 user ratings. User reviews often praise Denzel Washington’s compelling portrayal of Robert McCall, the well-choreographed action sequences, and the satisfying, if brutal, dispensation of justice. Some users found the plot somewhat predictable or slower-paced in parts compared to the first film, but many appreciated the deeper dive into McCall’s character and personal motivations.
Final Verdict
In summary, The Equalizer 2 offers a solid, if sometimes conventional, action-thriller experience anchored by Denzel Washington’s commanding presence. It successfully raises the personal stakes for Robert McCall, delivering brutal action and a satisfying, albeit somber, tale of revenge and the enduring impact of the past. While perhaps not as fresh as the first installment for some critics, it provides a compelling continuation of McCall’s journey for fans of the character and the genre.
