Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest is a bold, uneven, but ultimately gripping remake of Kurosawa’s High and Low… and let’s be real, most people complaining about it either haven’t seen the original or don’t remember it. (I rewatched High and Low just this week, so trust me, the comparisons are fresh. !Check that review too!)
While Lee’s version doesn’t surpass Kurosawa’s masterpiece, it carves out its own identity with a fiery social conscience and Denzel Washington’s magnetic performance as David King, a music mogul caught in a life-or-death moral dilemma.
My biggest gripe? The first half hews too closely to the original, which doesn’t easily translate to modern pacing. The tension is there, but the setup occasionally feels slow and stagey. I’d trim 30 minutes from the first act and tighten this into a leaner thriller-less talking, more tension.
That said, Washington’s performance is a powerhouse, grounding the film’s moral stakes with gravitas.
Where the film really shines is the second half, where Lee deviates from Kurosawa’s blueprint (and I suspect many imdb reviewers didn’t reach that part). The chase through Brooklyn’s streets pulses with energy, and the modern twists – especially the social commentary on wealth, race, and power – feel urgent and fresh. A$AP Rocky as Yung Felon brings a volatile, unpredictable energy to the story, making every scene he’s in crackle with tension. His performance is a standout, adding a layer of authenticity and menace that feels distinctly modern.
The soundtrack and score, however, are a mixed bag. Some tracks elevate the tension, while others feel intrusive or tonally mismatched. But when the film focuses on its characters and themes, it soars.
It’s not perfect, but Highest 2 Lowest is a fascinating companion piece to the original… a reminder that great stories can endure, even if they stumble a little along the way.
A solid 7/10.
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