Malcolm X is one of American history's most fascinating figures, a delinquent turned holy activist who struggled with his faith insofar as it had been misrepresented to him by Elijah Muhammad. Given that Muhammad is the man whose teachings rescued him from an aimless life of crime, the moment he realized his mentor and savior was a liar and philanderer served as a crucible for his beliefs. Would he look the other way as most of Muhammad's inner circle had, or would he break with the leader and offer followers a righteous alternative?

This is grist for great drama as we've seen in movies like "Malcolm X," "Ali" and "One Night in Miami," and it soars when directors cast the right Malcolm. And while Mario Van Peebles and Kingsley Ben-Adir did stellar work in their respective films, the role will likely forever belong to Denzel Washington, who burrowed into the...