The 2016 film version of Fences, produced, directed by, and starred in by Denzel Washington, is noted for its faithfulness to the play by keeping the vast majority of August Wilson's dialogue intact.

The movie has been criticized, however, for losing some of the tightness and intensity of the play in the transfer to the screen. As New Yorker film critic Richard Brody notes, the characters are played theatrically, as if they are on stage, but within the context of movie's setting, lose some of their vibrancy. As he states:

Washington, as director, neither emphasizes and heightens the artifice of the theatrical premise nor counteracts it by pressing the physicality of the actors to the fore.

The stage play has been contrasted to the movie for depicting Troy in a more "in-your-face" and aggressive way than Washington's more restrained, mellow performance. Nevertheless, the movie has also been very well received, earning a Best Picture Academy Award Nomination. Despite the critiques, Washington was nominated for an Oscar as best actor and won the Golden Globe award for best actor in the filmed version.