The Tom’s Guide Verdict: ‘Philadelphia’
Rating: ★★★★½ stars
Verdict: “Philadelphia” is an incredible story, centered around incredible performances from Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. Over 30 years after it premiered, it also serves as a time capsule for an era where hatred and fear targeted LGBTQ+ people more viscerally and publicly than it does today (not that it’s gone away). But the reason to watch this film is undeniably Hanks, who puts on a performance that will break you, and that we’ll never see from him again.
Where to watch: Buy or rent “Philadelphia” digitally from Amazon now
I’m now in week 15 of the Denzel Watchathon, which means it’s time to watch “Philadelphia.” Now, Denzel Washington has a storied career. His filmography is littered with classics and award-winning performances. But some of his movies are truly special, and I’ve been anticipating them more than others. “Philadelphia” is one of those movies.
That last part is all the more stunning once you’ve seen the movie, because the pairing is so perfect, you’re stunned it never happened again. These two each have two Oscar wins and at least six nominations (Denzel has nine!), and their chemistry is seamless. Far better than what we got between Denzel and Julia Roberts in “The Pelican Brief.”
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If you want to watch this movie before you read on, I have bad news. “Philadelphia” isn’t currently streaming on any of the best streaming services, nor is it streaming on any of the best free streaming services. Instead, you’ll need to buy or rent “Philadelphia” from Amazon or the digital storefront of your choice. Trust me, it’s money well spent.
Malcolm McMillan
Streaming Editor
Malcolm has been with the Streaming team at Tom’s Guide since 2023, reviewing dozens of movies each year so you don’t have to watch the bad ones.
I’m mad we never got Denzel and Hanks together again
If you are new to this ongoing series, I’m currently watching every one of Denzel’s 52 movies in his filmography, one per week, throughout 2026. I started with 1981’s “Carbon Copy,” and I’m ending with last year’s “Highest 2 Lowest.” But “Philadelphia” might sit with me the longest of any of the films I’ve seen so far.
Read more Denzel Watchathon
In large part, this is down to Hanks’ performance as Andy Beckett.
Don’t get me wrong; Denzel is also great in this movie. I love Denzel. I think he’s essential to making this movie work. But he’s also sort of doing what Denzel does in a lot of his movies. While he can certainly be transformative, he can never turn off that trademark Denzel charm and swagger. His performance as lawyer Joe Miller, while one of the best in his career up until this point, is one he’s done a variation on a few times before.
But I’ve never seen Hanks perform the way he does in “Philadelphia.” Neither before this movie, nor since. It’s transformative. There’s a real sadness and darkness to it. At times, you would be forgiven if you didn’t realize you were watching Hanks on screen. In fact, there was a brief moment in the first courtroom scene where I didn’t.
This transformation, this unique performance, admittedly does come down to the character. Because Andy, who Hanks portrays, is a younger gay man who alleges he’s just been fired as a senior associate from a prestigious Philadelphia law firm because he has AIDS. Not only does he have AIDS, but he’s also clearly already dying from it.
Such a character would naturally force Hanks to break from his mold. By the end of the movie, he will leave you crying.
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Still, I’d be remiss if I didn’t highlight the complexity of Denzel’s character. Joe is a peer of Andy’s. A fellow lawyer. But when he learns Andy is gay, he initially refuses to help him, in part because he’s worried he’ll contract AIDS. Until the latter part of the film, Joe is inarguably a bigot, and a relatively entrenched one at that, and it takes a lot to portray that while still coming off as the good guy, which by the end of the movie, he is.
Verdict: ‘Philadelphia’ is still a must-watch more than 32 years later
Philadelphia (1993) Trailer #1 – YouTube
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It’s undeniable that the best thing about “Philadelphia” is seeing Hanks and Denzel together. It’s criminal that it hasn’t happened since. The most jarring thing, though, is the way this movie acts as a time capsule.
I won’t pretend that in 2026, things are perfect for gay people or members of the LGBTQ+ community. They’re not. There’s so much work still to do. But the average, mainstream position towards that particular community is far better today than it was in 1993, even if we still have just as far to go. There’s a level of vitriol towards Andy, as an acceptable, mainstream way to behave towards another human, that is jarring over three decades later.
So bear that in mind when you watch this movie again. Yes, Denzel as Joe might make you angry with some things he says, but it should make you angry. It’s supposed to make you angry. You’re supposed to feel compassion for Andy on a human level. Director Jonathan Demme executes this task brilliantly, and it’s why this movie is still a must-watch today and will likely remain so into the future for decades more.
Buy or rent “Philadelphia” from Amazon
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