Highest 2 Lowest Review

Credit - A24/Apple

In tandem, Spike Lee and Denzel Washington are among the surest bets in cinema. They team up with the frequency and volume of Scorsese’s partnerships with DeNiro and DiCaprio, and that feels low-key criminal. Yet, there’s never been a disappointment when Lee and Washington hit the screen. The duo’s latest effort serves as yet another example of how their magic is always worth the wait.

Highest 2 Lowest, which marks the fifth collaboration between Lee and Washington, is the reimagining of the classic Akira Kurosawa thriller High and Low. In the update, a targeted kidnapping gone wrong forces music mogul David King (Washington) into a life-or-death predicament where he must choose between keeping his record label at the cost of losing an innocent life or complete ruin at the expense of saving it. This adaptation is pretty faithful to the OG movie. Still, Lee’s touch and Washington’s performance make Highest 2 Lowest worthy of its own identity apart from the source material.

In his most ambitious effort since Malcolm X, Lee makes Highest 2 Lowest less gritty and rigid than its predecessor. Where Kurosawa keeps High and Low monochromatic and gutter in both setting and narrative, Lee adds color and culture.

Visually, Lee differentiates his film from Kurosawa's by using Matthew Libatique’s cinematography to show New York City as an urban garden instead of an urban jungle. The gorgeous wide shot of NYC that opens the film sets the tone for seeing the city in a different light, but even H2L’s final scene, which mirrors the OG film, has a distinct touch that makes it clear this is no run-of-the-mill retelling and one of the year’s best shots so far. Except for a couple of scenes, there’s barely any views of a slum as opposed to Kurosawa taking you through the slums and heroin dens of Yokohama. Also, Lee’s placement of artifacts connected to various aspects of black culture lends itself to the broader story he tells in this film.

High and Low’s DNA is evident in Alan Fox’s script as the primary focus is still the haves vs. the have-nots, but H2L is rooted in the music business, which allows it to take on that and then some. In addition to offering commentary on class and capitalism, H2L hits on topics such as father-son relationships, generational division, the current state of the music industry, and even the policing of ex-convicts. While it may feel like H2L is biting off more than it can chew, Lee paces H2L in a way that gives each theme the space needed to be relevant and keep the film moving without any lulls.

The only change in H2L that’s ill-fitted for homage to High and Low or its retelling is the forced over-the-top action sequence. What probably should have been a simple chase scene (and it starts that way) becomes something from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The OG film did have an extended chase scene, but there’s no reason to have people squabbling on and jumping from train cars in H2L.

In front of the camera, it’s the Denzel show. His performance gives you a medley of his more charismatic characters while still having his fastball of gravity that creates H2L’s most profound moments. There are moments where you get the sense Washington is too old for the David King role, but he flips that notion on its head by making it a part of the character’s arc. Jeffrey Wright is also spectacular (and ironically could also played a great David King) in limited screen time.

The only ill-fit on the acting side is A$AP Rocky. He’s not a terrible actor by any means, but I think he played the Yung Felon role too cool for who that character is supposed to be and how pivotal he is to the H2L/High and Low’s message. There’s a key scene where it sounded like he read from the script while filming instead of acting the part. Still, that’s only a minor issue.

H2L is a showcase in reminding you why you love Lee and Washington individually. Lee flexes his knack for merging the fundamental principles of film with the wants, needs, and culture of a contemporary audience, while Washington continues to prove he’s still the best actor alive because he continues to be anything at any time.

Clearly, I believe H2L is a must-see, but I’d also like to encourage you to check out Kurosawa’s High and Low as well before catching Lee’s version. It’s not a requirement to enjoy H2L and you’ll need the subtitles on, but 1) it’s an excellent movie, and 2) you’ll have a greater appreciation for what Lee accomplished with his rendering.