“Highest 2 Lowest”
October 13, 2025 | Lisa Hatzenbeller
Premise: When a titan music mogul is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma.
Genres: Crime, Drama, Mystery, and Thriller
Runtime: 133 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Release Year: 2025
Starring: Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, and A$AP Rocky
Directed by: Spike Lee
Written by: Screenplay by Spike Lee
Based on the Book High and Low by Akira Kurosawa
Distributed by: A24 and Apple Original Films
Highest 2 Lowest had me the second I saw Spike Lee and Denzel Washington back together. Their fifth collab. I was already clearing my schedule. I wanted to love it. I wanted that old spark back. Instead, I walked away somewhere in the middle, two and a half out of five reels to be exact.
It’s a messy reunion with flashes of brilliance and a chase scene that steals the show. I talked more about this in my spoiler-free review over on Oscar Obsessed ADHD. It’s a quick watch if you want the full tone behind what worked and what didn’t.
Premiering out of competition at Cannes, the film marks the first time in 18 years that Lee and Washington have teamed up again. Their last project together was Inside Man in 2006, and you can feel both the comfort of their history and the rust of the years between. It’s a big return that carries the weight of expectation, and the result lands somewhere between nostalgia and near miss.
Film Adaptation
This one’s Spike’s spin on High and Low, the 1963 Kurosawa classic. He moves it to modern New York and swaps out corporate greed for the music business. Denzel plays King, a record exec with money, power, and a moral mess on his hands after his friend’s kid gets kidnapped. The setup’s sharp. The execution? Kinda all over the place.
The highs first. Denzel, as usual, carries. The man could make reading a grocery list cinematic. When the tension hits (especially in that chase scene) I actually stopped what I was doing and just watched. That’s rare for me. The city looks stunning too. Spike still films New York like it’s a living, breathing thing that keeps interrupting your thoughts.
The lows though… the tone shifts constantly. One minute it’s a thriller, the next it’s social commentary, then we’re vibing through a music montage. The score can be great, but sometimes it bulldozes the quieter beats. And the supporting cast? Criminally underused. There’s real talent here, but they fade behind Denzel’s gravity. When A$AP Rocky shares a scene with him, it feels electric, and the film could have used more of that.
It’s not a bad movie. It’s just uneven. It’s like Spike had five ideas and didn’t want to choose between them. Still, it’s worth watching if you’ve followed their history, Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, He Got Game, and Inside Man. You’ll feel that same shorthand between them, even when the story can’t quite keep up.
The storyline has some intrigue and plot twists you don’t see coming, which again is excitement they could have built on. As the relationships between the characters progresses, we see how each of them deals with the idea of responsibility, legacy, and wealth. What truly is the most important thing to each of these characters? That exploration and evolvement did show me a part of the movie I wasn’t expecting.
🧠ADHD Watch Factor
Pacing: Steady – Storyline kept movement and progression.
Attention Hold: Moderate – In and Out, some scenes very attention grabbing.
Emotional Pull: Distant – Never feel invested in the character’s final outcome.
Chaos Level: Simmering – A slow burn to the chase scene, then a rapid decline.
As much as I love seeing them together, I don’t see this one breaking into the awards race. No Oscar nominations feel likely, maybe a stray mention for score, but even that’s a stretch. In the end, Highest 2 Lowest delivers moments worth the watch but never quite the masterpiece its pedigree suggests. Still, there’s something comforting about seeing Denzel and Spike back in the same frame again, even if the magic only flickers.
Awards Outlook and History:
Best Original Song – “Highest 2 Lowest” – Aiyana-Lee Anderson
Where to Stream:
What did you think of Highest 2 Lowest?
Did Spike and Denzel still have the spark, or did it feel a little off to you too? I want to hear your take. Comment or tag me on X or drop your thoughts on Instagram.
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