Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg’s ‘2 Guns’ Makes a Surprising Comeback on Prime Video

More than a decade after its original release, 2 Guns — the action-packed buddy comedy starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg — is making an unexpected comeback on Prime Video.

Directed by Baltasar Kormákur (Contraband), 2 Guns first hit theaters in 2013, offering audiences a breezy, explosive romp that paired Washington’s DEA agent Robert “Bobby Beans” Trench with Wahlberg’s U.S. Naval Intelligence Officer Marcus “Stig” Stigman. Both characters infiltrate a dangerous narcotics syndicate undercover — and neither realizes the other is also undercover. After being betrayed by their respective agencies, the two are forced into an uneasy alliance to survive.

Despite its star power, 2 Guns was only a modest hit at the time. It earned $132.3 million worldwide on a $61 million budget and received mixed critical reviews, holding a 64% score on Rotten Tomatoes. While some critics, like The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw, dismissed the film for lacking “firepower,” others, like Bilge Ebiri of New York Magazine, found it “clever in a stupid way, and stupid in a clever way,” a backhanded compliment that captures the film’s unapologetic embrace of popcorn-movie thrills.

Still, the film quietly built a reputation as a reliably entertaining, if overlooked, action flick — and now it’s enjoying a second wind thanks to streaming.

Streaming Resurgence

2 Guns landed on Prime Video on April 1, 2025, and by mid-April had climbed into the platform’s top 10 most-watched films in the United States, peaking at number six according to data from FlixPatrol. Although it slipped to number seven on April 17 and number nine by April 22, its reappearance in the cultural conversation is notable. After all, finding a decade-old action movie charting alongside new hits like James McAvoy’s Speak No Evil and Tom Cruise’s Jack Reacher: Never Go Back shows just how enduring the appeal of Washington and Wahlberg’s chemistry really is.

However, the window of 2 Guns‘ renewed popularity may be short-lived. As new contenders like Antony Starr’s latest Prime Video project surge in popularity, 2 Guns risks being edged out of the U.S. charts altogether. It has yet to break into Prime Video’s global top 10 and seems unlikely to do so given the stiff competition.

Is 2 Guns Worth Revisiting?

While it was never considered one of Denzel Washington’s finest works — a career filled with Oscar-winning performances and masterful dramatic turns — 2 Guns captures a different side of the veteran actor. It’s a reminder of Washington’s rare ability to bring gravitas, charisma, and sly humor to even the most chaotic action scripts.

For fans who love watching Denzel throw a punch and fire a few rounds — as he memorably does in the Equalizer trilogy — 2 Guns offers a lighter, more comedic flavor. Wahlberg, meanwhile, leans into his wise-cracking action-hero persona, creating a dynamic that feels energetic, if not always groundbreaking.

Compared to some of Washington’s deeper roles, like his towering performances in The Tragedy of Macbeth or Fences, 2 Guns is pure escapism — a fun, fast-paced slice of ‘90s-style buddy-cop mayhem rebooted for a new generation.

And in today’s streaming ecosystem, where anything old can become new again overnight, it’s clear audiences are happy to revisit this forgotten Denzel-Wahlberg team-up. So if you’re looking for a film that’s smartly stupid (or stupidly smart), 2 Guns might just be the perfect choice for your next movie night.