HIGHEST 2 LOWEST (APPLE TV+) (2025)
SYNOPSIS: When a titan music mogul (Denzel Washington), widely known as having the “best ears in the business”, is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma. Brothers Denzel Washington and Spike Lee reunite for the 5th in their long working relationship for a reinterpretation of the great filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s crime thriller High and Low, now played out on the mean streets of modern day New York City.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Highest 2 Lowest is a reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low, itself adapted from the American novel King’s Ransom. While the core premise remains intact across both versions, Spike Lee’s execution may prove divisive.
Marking his fifth collaboration with Lee (Inside Man, BlacKkKlansman), Denzel Washington stars as David King, a high-profile music mogul living in a luxury apartment overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge. While negotiating the buyback of his record label, King’s world shatters when his son, Trey, is kidnapped—only for him to later discover that the real target is Trey’s best friend Kyle (Elijah Wright), who also happens to be King’s godson and the son of his chauffeur, Paul (Jeffrey Wright).
This sets up the central moral dilemma: Will King hand over 17.5 million Swiss francs to save another man’s child or will he use the money to secure his company and legacy?
Lee’s film stays true to the themes of the source material, exploring King’s inner conflict as he weighs his crumbling business, his reputation, and the devastating consequences of refusing to pay the ransom. The tension between personal responsibility and moral duty keeps the drama compelling and thought-provoking.
Unsurprisingly, Washington delivers. As always, he commands the screen, embodying King as a sharp, unyielding businessman who nevertheless reveals moments of vulnerability. Every line carries weight—delivered with Washington’s signature mix of ease, pain and intensity.
Jeffrey Wright brings depth to Paul, a man with a troubled past who has since rebuilt his life as a devoted father. His relationship with King adds layers to the narrative, especially since King played a role in his redemption. Watching Wright go toe-to-toe with Washington only underscores his versatility.
Unfortunately, the film falters in tone and pacing. Lee struggles to decide whether this is primarily a crime thriller or a character study of a mogul’s downfall. The kidnapping unfolds abruptly, followed by a motorcycle chase that lacks real urgency. A later confrontation between King, Paul, and the antagonist is clumsy at best and downright cringeworthy at worst.
Even more distracting is the soundtrack. For a film centered on a music mogul, the score feels amateurish and wildly mismatched to the tone. It’s baffling that a story about a man with “the best ears in the business” could feature such uninspired music.
Beneath the uneven execution, there’s a sharper, better film struggling to break through. At its best, Highest 2 Lowest is gripping and powerful. At its worst, it’s frustratingly misguided. It tries to be everything at once—crime drama, morality play, industry critique but never fully coheres. That’s the real disappointment: Spike Lee’s films usually carry weight and purpose. Here, too much gets lost in the noise. (And let’s not even bring up his Oldboy remake.)
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
