"Highest 2 Lowest": A Spike Lee Joint Remixing Kurosawa

Spike Lee's "Highest 2 Lowest" emerges as a fascinating, if somewhat uneven, cinematic experience. As a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller "High and Low," Lee's film, starring Denzel Washington, infuses the original's premise with contemporary social commentary and his signature directorial flair. The film, however, grapples with tonal inconsistencies, preventing it from reaching its full potential.

A Cheeky Beginning and Influences

From the opening moments of “Highest 2 Lowest,” Spike Lee signals his intent to play with expectations. Over aerial shots of the New York City skyline, including the stunning Olympia building looming over Brooklyn, Lee layers “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’,” the opening song from the 1943 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Oklahoma!,” a jarring, cheeky choice that jolts us out of what we might think a Spike Lee Kurosawa remake is supposed to be.

The Japanese auteur has long been a major influence on Lee, and when the script for “Highest 2 Lowest” (by Alan Fox), which had been in development with other filmmakers, came his way, Lee made it his own. He also cast longtime collaborator Denzel Washington, an apt pairing. Kurosawa had Toshiro Mifune; Lee has Washington. (It’s their fifth film together.)

Kurosawa’s “High and Low” was based on the 1959 Ed McBain cop novel “King’s Ransom,” about a moral dilemma that becomes an identity crisis for a wealthy man. Transporting the action to Japan’s post-World War II economic boom, Kurosawa examined class differences in the country. Though Lee uses the text to comment on the haves and have-nots too, his focus is trained on the 21st century attention economy dictated by the social media hordes.

Plot Overview

When we pick up with David King (Washington) on the balcony of his Olympia penthouse, he knows that a change is going to come this beautiful morning. A superstar music mogul, King is aware that his company, Stackin’ Hits, is about to be sold out from under him. Secretly, he’s set a plan in motion to orchestrate a leveraged buyout and take control of the sale. But when he receives a call that his son, Trey (Aubrey Joseph), has been snatched off the street and the kidnappers are demanding $17.5 million, his scheme to save his company goes up in smoke.

But then, Trey shows up. As it happens, the kidnappers have mistakenly taken his son’s best friend, Kyle (Elijah Wright), the child of David’s longtime confidant and driver, Paul (Jeffrey Wright), a devout Muslim rich in street smarts but not money. David’s personal relief is cut short when he has to decide if he’s going to pay the ransom and save his best friend’s kid - and his face, considering the media scrutiny - or follow his dream and save his company.

"Highest 2 Lowest" mimics the high and low bisection of Kurosawa’s film, with the first hour set in the moneyed confines of the Kings’ luxe apartment, laden with priceless African American contemporary art. As cinematographer Matthew Libatique’s camera lingers over the Basquiat and Kehinde Wiley paintings, one might wonder why he doesn’t just sell a few to remedy his money problems.

Strengths and Weaknesses

The first hour of “Highest 2 Lowest” is more baffling than anything else. The fluid long-take cinematography by Libatique is impeccable, but with a melodramatic tone courtesy of a distracting, over-the-top score by Howard Drossin and weak performances from the supporting cast, it feels more like a Tyler Perry movie than a Spike Lee joint.

But then, liberation: The film hits the streets and Lee unfolds an absolutely sublime piece of kinetic New York City filmmaking, a chase scene with a subway car full of Yankees fans chanting their anti-Boston sentiments intercut with a Puerto Rican Day Parade performance by the Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra. Finally, we’re cooking with gas. It’s one of the best sequences of the year.

David and Paul take matters into their own hands while searching for Kyle’s kidnapper, who turns out to be an aspiring rapper named Yung Felon (an excellent ASAP Rocky). Washington and Rocky face off in two electric scenes in the back half of the movie, both times separated by glass: a recording booth and a jail visitation. Rocky capably steps up to Washington’s loose but intense actorly flow and contributes a great song to the soundtrack too.

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Washington is unsurprisingly mesmerizing, improvising small gestures and throwaway lines. But there’s still an element of camp and goofy humor that lingers, taking away from the script’s leaner, meaner elements. Generously, one might interpret this as a Brechtian nod toward the film’s artifice as an arch and knowing remake laden with references. But that keeps us at a distance from the emotional reality of these characters. When Lee brings everything home with a message about creating real art from the heart and the responsibility of stewarding Black culture, it’s a bit too late to take it seriously.

Denzel Washington as David King

Denzel Washington leads the cast as David King, a music mogul facing a moral crisis. Washington is unsurprisingly mesmerizing, improvising small gestures and throwaway lines. His performance is a highlight, showcasing his ability to command the screen with a loose but intense actorly flow.

ASAP Rocky as Yung Felon

ASAP Rocky delivers an excellent performance as Yung Felon, the aspiring rapper and kidnapper. Washington and Rocky face off in two electric scenes in the back half of the movie, both times separated by glass: a recording booth and a jail visitation. Rocky capably steps up to Washington’s loose but intense actorly flow and contributes a great song to the soundtrack too.

Thematic Elements

Lee uses the film to comment on the haves and have-nots too, his focus is trained on the 21st century attention economy dictated by the social media hordes. "Highest 2 Lowest" explores themes of wealth, morality, and the influence of social media in contemporary society. The film delves into the moral dilemma faced by David King, who must decide whether to prioritize his business or the life of his confidant's child.

Production Details

Spike Lee received Alan Fox's original script before the COVID-19 pandemic and was involved with rewriting it after Denzel Washington agreed to star. The revision took the form of an adaptation of Akira Kurosawa's film High and Low. Principal photography began in New York City on March 4, 2024, with Matthew Libatique as cinematographer, and wrapped on May 31. The production design featured reproductions of paintings in Lee's art collection, including works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kehinde Wiley, Deborah Roberts, and Frederick J.

Soundtrack

A24 Music released the soundtrack on August 15, 2025. ASAP Rocky also created two songs for the soundtrack, "Both Eyes Closed" and "Trunks".

Release and Reception

In April 2025, Thierry Frémaux, artistic director of the Cannes Film Festival, confirmed that Highest 2 Lowest would premiere out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2025. The film underperformed at the box office on its opening weekend, with numbers apparently "so weak that A24 and Apple Studios took the unorthodox step of not releasing box-office numbers at all".

Robert Daniels of RogerEbert.com gave the film three and a half out of four stars and wrote, "While many will come to Highest 2 Lowest craving the angst of Kurosawa's masterpiece, for once Lee isn't setting out to copy what was great before. He is using the past as a starting point to launch into what may be the final phase of his career. He is wielding a plethora of inspirations-musical, cinematic, and historical-to reunite with an old friend. He is making a Spike Lee joint. And it's exceptional."

David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film a B, writing, "Lee is so much more interesting for what he brings to a project than for what he takes away from it, and Highest 2 Lowest is naturally at its best when it deviates from its source material."

Richard Brody of The New Yorker wrote, "Lee turns the story into what is one of his most personal films, both emotionally and intellectually" and "Oddly, the move comes not as a renunciation but as a new adventure.

Conclusion

“Highest 2 Lowest” has its highs and lows, and when the highs are high, it soars. Those pesky lows are certainly hard to shake though. Despite its flaws, "Highest 2 Lowest" remains a worthwhile watch for fans of Spike Lee and Denzel Washington. The film's strengths lie in its exploration of relevant social issues, strong performances, and Lee's signature directorial style. However, its tonal inconsistencies and uneven pacing prevent it from reaching the heights of Kurosawa's original masterpiece.

Additional movie review

"New Low": A Self-Loathing Comedy

Aptly named, “New Low” is another in the long line of self-loathing comedies. If Rodney Dangerfield couldn’t get any respect, the character played by writer/director Adam Bowers displays a lack of self-esteem that’s off the charts. Bowers deserves credit for going out and making the film for almost no money, but it plays like a home movie of someone trying too hard to get laughs.

Wendell's Pathetic Existence

A video store clerk (how many time have we seen this?) and would-be stand-up comic, Wendell (Bowers) is kind of pathetic and makes the most of it. They meet cute: Vicky tells him he’s balding, his lips are too thin, and he’s a lousy kisser. He agrees and they start going out. After spending their first night together, she invites him out for breakfast and rummages through a dumpster for day-old bagels.

Plot and Characters

The film seems more like a setup for a string of one liners, often exchanged with Wendell’s equally depraved best friend Dave (Toby Turner), than an actual story. The plot, such as it is, places Wendell in a triangle between the slovenly Vicky and the saintly social worker Joanne (Valerie Jones) in a battle for his soul. He dumps Vicky because he wants to be a better person and starts hanging out with Joanne at feminist meetings and environmental groups. But when he realizes he’s more comfortable with Vicky, even she doesn’t want him back.

Production and Setting

Expanded from a short film Bowers made in college, “New Low” was shot in Gainesville, Fla., which seems to have a well-developed slacker population. These are not the beautiful people, and it might be refreshing to see them on the screen if they weren’t so unappealing.

"Low Low": A Realistic Portrayal of Teen Life

Four teen girls teeter on the precipice of uncertain futures in Nick Richey’s debut feature, “Low Low,” as the budding auteur’s realistic style nicely complements the precise performances, giving each actor an empathetic path into her character’s psyche. In the final days of high school, Ryan (Ali Richey) is understandably worried about graduating. There aren’t many prospects for a working-class teen in Vancouver, Wash. Her troubled home life, beset by a contentious relationship with her single mom Sylvia (Elaine Hendrix) and her mom’s revolving door of slacker boyfriends, has caused her to act out - a rebellion fueled by angst, drugs and booze. Surprisingly, she’s managed to show great potential with her schoolwork, impressing her teacher Dr. Ellison (Moniqua Plante). Ryan also frets about the fracturing of her tight-knit group of girlfriends - all of whom are also facing anxieties about impending adulthood.

The Girl Squad

Cherry (Montana Roesch) is about to embark on a new collegiate lifestyle, leaving her loving boyfriend Memo (Adam Elshar) behind. Lana (Kacie Rogers) is attending a local community college, partially to keep a watchful eye on their friend Willy (Alexis Raich), whose cherubic innocence isn’t fooling anyone. Willy’s masterful at causing drama. Despite their trepidations, this girl squad is determined to spend what little time they have left supporting each other. Though these gals are engaging in hardcore drugs, drinking and other vices, their core value of friendship remains intact. Ryan sticks up for Willy in a school fight with Tanya, letting her fists channel her pent-up frustrations. During the subsequent investigation into this event, Willy, Lana and Cherry all vouch for Ryan. After the pals fail to gather enough money for a Plan-B pill for Willy, they confront Cory at his home, which adds some levity to the serious situation.

Technical Aspects and Performances

Richey conjures a snappy, deeply affecting energy through his collaboration with editors Jay Diaz and John Quinn. Their work combines with Heavy Young Heathens’ spry, stirring score, Pascal Combes-Knoke’s cinematography (which gives the calamity a radiating glow) and the actresses’ acumen to build a palpable feeling of comraderie. All four leads deliver strong work. Ali Richey laces her character’s testy temperament with a hint of the softened vulnerability she’s masking. Rogers brilliantly blurs the lines between Lana’s caustic and caring sides, while making her motivations coherent. Roesch’s sincerity shines through the darkened facets of Cherry’s personality.

Weaknesses in the Third Act

However, the feature loses some of its fizzle in the third act - and not for lack of effort by the performers. The material weakens greatly whenever Richey spreads on superficial layers. Cherry’s breakup scene doesn’t hold much emotional heft, and her story feels even more weightless once she reunites with Memo for one last fling. Lana’s crush on Willy provides an admirable LGBT-positive story thread, but unfortunately doubles as an unwelcome romantic comedy trope that doesn’t go anywhere. There’s no urgency behind the intimacy between all these gals, no pressing immediacy to their final hurrah.

"Accepted": A Look into College Admissions and Exploitation

Accepted, directed by Dan Chen, is a layered story about predominately Black and low-income high school students in rural Louisiana where, like many underserved communities, college acceptance is positioned as the ultimate ticket out. The film gives a poignant overview of the high stakes for many T.M. Landry students and their families, who, like so many working-class households in the US, view higher education as the best chance for life-changing upward mobility. The accepted students are often supported by family members who did not get the chance to go to college.

The T.M. Landry Scandal

There are many reasons to take issue with the school’s founder, Michael Landry, and the film, through student accounts, lays them out clearly. There is also the brief but timely overview of an even more well-funded and thought-out college admissions scandal that was unearthed around the same time as T.M. Landry’s viral coverage: Operation Varsity Blues. Collegiate institutions are not innocent players in either of these scandals, and it is clear that media coverage placing blame solely on Michael Landry deflects from the bigger beast. The film reveals how reporting on the T.M.

Nuances of Excellence Programs

This film is not just an exposé of college admissions in the United States; nor is it only an inside look at the real experiences of some gifted students from rural/underserved communities who give their all and more to get their shot at acceptance to a prestigious university. Accepted tells a nuanced story about the complexity of excellence programs designed to help underserved students be seen in a system that often renders them invisible.

Exploitation and Extreme Measures

Outside of Michael Landry’s crimes, what Accepted makes clear is the ‘exploit or be exploited’ environment that much of higher education is built on and the experience of this for those typically called ‘at-risk youth.’ The T.M. Landry Prep School is a shining example of the rarely acknowledged other side of the transformative experience of college acceptance for underprivileged youth, but as noted earlier it’s also a call to reflect on the harms done to underprivileged youth by all institutions. It begs the question of what extremes some of us have to go to, including breaking the law and subjecting ourselves to harsh treatment by teachers we believe are playing dirty, to have a chance at acceptance [to elite schools].

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