Roman J. Israel, Esq., a driven, idealistic defense attorney, finds himself in a tumultuous series of events that lead to a crisis and the necessity for extreme action.
 
In the film, Denzel's character says Esq. is somewhere right above gentleman & below knight, which is the perfect way to explain this movie because it is right above average & right below amazing.  The reason it can't find it's true status is because the story takes a while to get going, but you don't mind because DW is there to hold your hand and guide you through it all.  His performance is once again outstanding and the true driving force behind why this movie is what it is.  
 
FUN FACT:  In the film there's a visible gap between Denzel Washington's two front teeth. He had the gap fixed with dental caps sometime after high school, but decided to remove them for this role.