Training Day (2001)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A rookie narcotics officer is paired with a seasoned, unconventional detective for a high-stakes evaluation in the gang-ridden streets of Los Angeles.
The story
Jake Hoyt, a young and ambitious LAPD officer, is assigned to a one-day evaluation with Detective Alonzo Harris, a highly decorated but unconventional narcotics officer. The goal of the evaluation is to determine if Jake will be admitted to the narcotics squad. As they navigate the gang-ridden neighborhoods of Westlake, Echo Park, and South Central Los Angeles over a 24-hour period, the line between law enforcement and criminal activity begins to blur. Alonzo's aggressive and unorthodox methods put Jake's principles and safety at risk as they encounter various drug dealers and local gangs, forcing the rookie to decide how far he is willing to go to succeed in his career.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Jake Hoyt, a rookie LAPD officer, is assigned to a one-day evaluation with the decorated but unorthodox Detective Alonzo Harris. During their 24-hour shift in Los Angeles' gang-ridden neighborhoods, Alonzo forces Jake to smoke marijuana laced with PCP and later involves him in a series of illicit acts, including stealing money from a drug dealer's home. When they encounter a girl being assaulted, Jake intervenes while Alonzo watches. Later, they find a massive stash of cash at a dealer's house; Alonzo leads his team in pocketing a portion of it. After a confrontation with corrupt officials, Alonzo frames Jake for a shooting to ensure Jake's silence regarding their illegal actions. The situation escalates when Alonzo is forced to pay a debt to a local gang. He tells Jake he has abandoned him, but a misunderstanding involving a girl's wallet leads the gang to spare Jake. In the final confrontation, Jake confronts Alonzo in a public standoff. Alonzo is eventually ambushed and killed by a Russian hit squad while attempting to flee to the airport. Jake is left to face the aftermath, with the media reporting a narrative that mirrors the lies Alonzo used to manipulate him.
- First release year
- 2001
- Runtime (minutes)
- 122
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Antoine Fuqua
- Writers
- David Ayer · writer
- Cast and characters
- Denzel Washington · Alonzo Harris; Ethan Hawke · Jake Hoyt; Scott Glenn; Eva Mendes; Cliff Curtis; Dr. Dre; Snoop Dogg; Macy Gray
- Genres
- crime thriller; crime drama
- Themes
- police corruption; moral ambiguity; loyalty
- Premise and plot tags
- police procedural; crime drama; undercover
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the lead performances but were divided on the screenplay.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 71 · scale: 100 · review count: 36
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Actor · win; Academy Award · Best Supporting Actor · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film's production was influenced by the real-life Rampart Scandal of the late 1990s.; Denzel Washington grew a beard to emulate a real LAPD officer involved in scandals.; The film was originally scheduled for release on September 21, 2001, but was delayed due to the September 11 attacks.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…