Spike Lee's 'Highest 2 Lowest' (2025) | Film Review

Spike Lee's 'Highest 2 Lowest' (2025) | Film Review

When a titan music mogul is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma. A reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s crime thriller ‘High and Low’, now played out on the mean streets of modern day New York City. 

‘Highest 2 Lowest’ (2025) is a shock to the sense, from Spike Lee’s distinct techniques and style to the jarring orchestral score. This film delivers in memorability but often misses the mark when it comes to audience engagement. ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ (2025) is the newest feature from legendary director Spike Lee, he injects his Brooklyn style into every frame, his satirical observation of society, race and class along with his attention to set design and colour palette. Lee pays attention to every corner of the frame and that gave this film an edge, a stylistic approach which added to the films overall atmosphere and tone.

Spike keeps you on your toes, although some scenes are overdrawn and relish in simplicity, in general this feature is high octane and full of adrenaline.

This film feels like an elevated version of Spike’s previous works. If you’re a fan of his distinct style, it is slightly buried under the opulence of this films appeal, it is a reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s ‘High and Low’ (1963) after all, which is widely regarded as a cinematic masterpiece. This films greatest strength was Denzel Washington, he brought charisma and charm to a disconcerting role, a success hungry music mogul who wants to stay at the top. Washington added humour to a serious role, he applied his personal touch to the character which made the cinema erupt into laughter several times. His performance was beyond compelling and kept me engaged from beginning to end. 

On the other hand, at first the musical score was complimentary to the drama but soon the continuous accompaniment of orchestral music was incredibly distracting. Often taking attention away from the actors dialogue, the score was glaringly strange choice. 

Denzel is the centre of this feature, his performance was the glue holding every scene together. When he wasn’t on screen, I was anxiously awaiting his return. His supporting cast all did a fine job, Jeffrey Wright was a particular stand out along with A$AP Rocky’s Yung Felon persona which was a sight to behold. In his first major acting role Rocky was strikingly believable and gave a chillingly memorable portrayal. 

Denzel and Spike are an artists duo which simply works, the pair have made some monumental pieces of cinema together and ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ (2025) is another to add to their repertoire. 

Spike Lee, at 68 years old has given us many facets of his career, ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ (2025) is a remarkable feature when you look at Lee’s growth as a filmmaker. I was blown away by the production value, the done shots (in particular the opening scene accompanied by Norm Lewis’ “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’”). This film might be inspired by a Japanese feature but Lee has managed to implement himself into every frame. 

‘Highest 2 Lowest’ (2025) ironically was a mix of highs and lows. The performances, music and cinematography were mesmerising but the long run time, score and empty scenes were disappointing. The general narrative and whiplash twists were enticing, the utter chaos of the plot along with the intense camera movement made for a compelling crime drama. 

Probe Points

★★★