Matthew Percefull
Spike Lee is back with a new joint! The renowned director is teaming up with Denzel Washington for their fifth collaboration. Highest 2 Lowest will be a reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film High and Low. The film is set to premiere at Cannes out of competition later this month and be released theatrically in August. We’ve finally been treated to the first teaser.
The teaser for Highest 2 Lowest doesn’t reveal anything about the plot. It acts as an aesthetic appetizer instead. It’s rhythmic and in your face. The edits are fast, and you need to watch multiple times to catch every shot. The only thing you can focus on over the quick cuts and blaring funk music is Denzel’s smooth voice powering through a vague but intriguing monologue about success. It’s energetic and leaves the viewer wanting more, just as a good teaser should.
The teaser trailer takes some time to highlight Spike and Denzel’s legendary partnership. Since the early 90’s they have been known as one of Hollywood’s dynamic duos with classics like Malcolm X and He Got Game. Highest 2 Lowest will be Spike Lee’s first film with Washington since the 2006 thriller Inside Man. This returning collaboration is creating buzz for this film on its own. Lee and Washington just gel so well together. They understand each other’s tastes and bring the best out of each other.
Denzel Washington is joined by an interesting ensemble in Highest 2 Lowest. Jeffrey Wright adds gravitas, while the inclusion of rising names like A$AP Rocky and Ice Spice has raised eyebrows. Rocky made a memorable impression with minimal screen time in Dope, but he’s been largely absent from the screen since. While the teaser doesn’t offer much of him, the glimpses we do get suggest he carries enough charisma to convincingly play Washington’s son, which is a crucial dynamic of the film. Ice Spice’s role, on the other hand, seems mostly unknown. The teaser doesn’t show her, and she’s been absent from much of the marketing. It will be interesting to see what role she plays and how she fares on screen.
Highest 2 Lowest takes major inspiration from Kurosawa’s High and Low. The film is about a wealthy man who believes his child is being held for ransom, but it’s his employee’s kid. They’re both based loosely on the 50’s novel, King Ransom by Evan Hunter. This doesn’t appear to be a remake but more of Spike’s take on the same story structure. Kurosawa’s High and Low is a procedural drama while Lee’s take seems high voltage in comparison. Lee’s version also takes place within the music industry while the original is about a shoe mogul.
Highest 2 Lowest is not Spike’s first foray into Eastern cinema. In 2013, he remade the South Korean film Oldboy to terrible reviews and a low box office return. This could be Lee’s redemption for one of the few big blunders in his illustrious career. He’s always vocally been a fan of Japanese cinema and specifically Akira Kurosawa. With the love he has for this director’s work and the fresh direction he’s landed on, I don’t think Lee will have an Oldboy-style meltdown here.
Spike Lee’s newest joint is looking as stylish and fun as ever. With his 25th feature, the legendary auteur is still finding new ways to entertain. It always feels special when a new Spike Lee joint comes along, but this one has even more riding on it with Denzel Washington on board. This is two masters of their craft meeting towards the end of careers they’ve built simultaneously. Highest 2 Lowest is a deeply intriguing, and I can’t wait to see what Spike has up his sleeves.
Directed by Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, A$AP Rocky, and Ice Spice, Highest 2 Lowest will be in theaters August 22, 2025.
