Denzel Washington’s 2004 action thriller Man on Fire is now available to stream for free on Pluto TV. The film is based on A. J. Quinnell’s 1980 novel of the same name and was among the titles added to the service’s catalog in November.
Washington stars as John W. Creasy, a former CIA agent and U.S. Marine Force Recon captain hired to protect Pita Ramos, the daughter of a wealthy auto manufacturer played by Marc Anthony. Dakota Fanning plays Pita. The film adapts the novel’s central premise but changes character details and backgrounds.
In the book, Creasy is a former French Foreign Legion member and mercenary who becomes a bodyguard for a wealthy Italian family. He grows close to the family’s daughter, Pinta, before she is kidnapped by the Mafia. The novel was the first in a series featuring Creasy, followed by four books published between 1992 and 1996.
The film received a 38% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, while its audience Popcornmeter score stands at 89%. It grossed $130.3 million against a reported budget of $60 million to $70 million.
The story received another adaptation in 2026, when Netflix released a series starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as John Creasy. That version follows Creasy as he protects the daughter of an old friend in Brazil. Its first season has a 59% Tomatometer score and a 62% Popcornmeter score, and no second season has been officially confirmed.
Sources: Comic Book Resources.