Spike Lee has challenged convention and form by infusing forty years’ worth of films with his distinct flair and undeniable voice. He’s touched myriad genres and shaped them in his own image, leaving an indelible mark on this industry. It’s hard to imagine that he’d take on any film without having something to say in his unique way.

Highest 2 Lowest takes on the same premise as Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low (1963) (which, in turn, is based on Evan Hunter’s 1959 novel King’s Ransom). A powerful businessman receives a hefty ransom when his chauffeur’s son is mistakenly kidnapped. The businessman must grapple with the life-or-death scenario in the midst of his own struggles within his company. 

Kurosawa remains one of cinema’s most prolific and influential filmmakers. The very idea of reinterpreting one of his works seems like an impossible undertaking. But if someone is going to do it, why not a director like Lee, who is undoubtedly going to put his unique spin on it?

In the original, our hero (Toshirô Mifune) runs a shoe manufacturing company. He and his chauffeur (Yutaka Sada) both have sons who are toddlers. As they attempt to get to the bottom of a kidnapping, Kurosawa takes us into a dark and drug-filled world.

Highest 2 Lowest makes a number of narrative changes. Our hero, David King (Denzel Washington), is a powerful music mogul contending with an ever-evolving industry in 2025. David and his chauffeur, Paul Christopher (Jeffrey Wright), have a relationship that predates their driver-passenger arrangement. Their sons, Trey (Aubrey Joseph) and Kyle (Elijah Wright), are seventeen. The film is also set in New York City, a decision that, in and of itself, allows Lee to put his fingerprints all over this story.

These changes are all effective and smart decisions that uplift a lot of the deeper questions Lee seeks to interrogate in the film. However, we have to overcome an utterly messy first act to get there.

Alan Fox’s screenplay sloppily lays out the story in a way that is almost comically rushed. He rushes through important plot beats to move on to the next thing, often resulting in devastating tonal collisions. It’s evident that our talented cast struggles to navigate some of these abrupt pivots. 

Fox’s stilted and unnatural dialogue works in tandem with Howard Drossin’s downright distracting and ill-fitting score to create scenes that feel out of a melodramatic TV movie. This combo undercuts the severity of the situation our characters are navigating. In one particularly serious scene, David and his son, Trey, discuss whether or not David will pay the ransom for Kyle. This elicited laughter due to some music cues and specific lines of dialogue. The film frequently runs into this issue in the first half, where a scene that is meant to be an emotional crux for the characters comes off as comical and goofy.

Once the action breaks out of the King family’s lavish penthouse and into the streets of New York City, Lee gets control, and the film comes alive. No one shoots New York quite like Spike Lee. At this point, it’s become cliché to say that a city feels like its own character in a film, but Lee infuses New York with vibrant kineticism that makes it stand out like a featured player. 

His typical flair comes out to play as he challenges form and convention. Fourth walls are broken, characters are gliding, and lengthy sequences are built around music. It’s a dazzling reminder of why this man has been in the business as long as he has.

As the film gets its footing, the performers, who were doing their best to elevate what they were given, activate even further. Washington, in his fifth collaboration with Lee, crafts a protagonist who is a fascinating blend of charismatic and tortured. There’s a layer of facade to David as he navigates this impossible predicament in the eyes of the public and his family; Washington switches between David the Mogul and David the Man with the swiftness of a light switch. But it’s the quiet moments when the guard is completely abandoned that Washington shines brightest.

Wright isn’t given much to sink his teeth into when it comes to Paul. However, Wright manages to craft a level of dimension with this man, especially in the scenes with just him and Washington. There’s an unspoken energy between these two acting heavyweights; they emanate a deep-rooted history between the two, no exposition needed.

A$AP Rocky, a relative newcomer to film, brings a captivating presence despite limited screentime. One scene in particular features Washington and Rocky going toe to toe in an electrifying exchange that only Lee could pull off. It’s a tense, jaw-dropping exchange with Rocky holding his own against the acting heavyweight. 

Lee uses the modern setting as a sandbox to play around with the ideas of our attention-driven society and the parasocial relationships that have come to permeate the entertainment world. Social media is effortlessly woven into the fabric of this film, and we see how public perception drives morality. Also, in aging up David’s son, we gain insight into what the ramifications of this incident mean for him.

There is a critique of both the modern music industry and society at large. Value comes from attention and how many eyes are on you. Is art valuable if no one is paying attention? David repeatedly talks about how he’s desperate to get back to the music and not be so wrapped up in the business side of things. His priority is empowering and building the legacies of Black artists. However, in order to be successful, he has to engage in the business and appeal to the masses. 

Additionally, within the framework of the music industry, Lee taps into the idea of access to public figures and this parasocial nature that stems from the constant deluge of information online. Lee hones in on the very thing deteriorating our humanity; while remaining faithful to the spirit of Kurosawa’s work, he really makes Highest 2 Lowest a thorough commentary in touch with modern culture and how the very thing connecting us may also be our ruin.

It’s admittedly frustrating that one of our most prolific filmmakers remaking another prolific filmmaker’s film with one of our greatest movie stars is getting a small theatrical window with minimal promotion before getting sent to streaming. However, Highest 2 Lowest is an imperfectly glorious testament to Lee and Washington as artists that demands to be seen.

Highest 2 Lowest is an uneven venture. There are some low lows. But the film’s highs soar. Lee harnesses the manic energy and delivers a thrilling ride that presents ideas that audiences will continue to digest long after they leave the film. And, despite this being a reimagining of one of the most iconic films ever made, this film feels like one of Lee’s most personal efforts. 

Review Courtesy of Adam Patla

Feature Image Credit to A24 via IMDB