Training Day director Antoine Fuqua recently reflected on what made the film special to him. Written by Suicide Squad's David Ayer, the 2001 crime thriller starred venerable actor Denzel Washington as LAPD Senior Detective Alonzo Harris. He is tasked with guiding an honest cop, Officer Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke), through a day of on-the-job training in preparation for a promotion to detective. Over the course of a 24-hour period, Hoyt is treated to a hard look at LA's gang-ridden streets, where he soon realizes that Harris isn't exactly who he appears to be.

Training Day took America by storm with its taut storytelling, slick soundtrack, and gritty action. The film proved to be a hit with critics and audiences alike, with praise focused on the performances of both Washington and Hawke. The actors went on to score Academy Award nominations that year for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively, with Washington winning in his category. Along with critical acclaim, the film went on to be a hit at the box office, pulling in over $100 million.

In an interview with Slash Film, Fuqua looked back on what made Training Day special to him. When reminded that the majority of the film is simply the two main characters in small settings, such as rooms or cars, talking to each other, the director explained that it's those moments that resonate with him the most. Read what Fuqua said below.

"Well, that's what I care the most about. I was just saying that to someone — that movie reminded me of why I love movies. Just characters, I love the characters. I love when you feel them. Not just hear them or you're not just watching them, you feel them, and "Training Day" was that. When they were sitting in the cafe talking, I felt them. That's the first scene I shot and I could feel them, even though they were just bantering a bit. You could feel the tension. You could see it, and that's Denzel and that's Ethan."

As Fuqua detailed, the majority of the film is just Harris and Hoyt playing off of each other as Harris leads the trainee down a twisted path of corruption and violence. Their unique personalities carry the underlying tension created by Harris' scheming as he must scrounge up $1 million to pay Russian mobsters for killing one of their men. When it comes down to it, Training Day is a twisted buddy cop film, though one with a lot less comedy and a lot more suspense and anxiety than usual.

It is the characters that drive the film, creating the plot by their choices. Their individual personas must clash to create conflict to heighten the tension that keeps the audience in their seats. Training Day is a film that epitomizes the thriller genre with its constant twists and layered suspense. While the film may not feature a wide variety of settings or bombastic setpieces, as Fuqua explained, it is the powerful character drama at the core of the story that resonated with him. What made Training Day special for Fuqua seemingly also made the movie special for audiences around the world.