With a long list of cameos and an out-of-this-world soundtrack, Spike Lee is back with his latest film, Highest 2 Lowest.
David King (Denzel Washington) is a music mogul whose relevance is starting to fade. With a buyout offer on the table, he’s stuck between riding off into the sunset with more than enough wealth to suffice, or staying on board the ship that he built, even if it’s on a crash course. With things set in motion to make a decision, his focus gets diverted after receiving a phone call that his son, Trey (Aubrey Joseph), has been kidnapped. The film is based on Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low, which was based on Ed McBain’s detective novel King’s Ransom.
The film is great, but the trailer is a bit misleading. This is no crime thriller by any means. It’s a crime drama, but most importantly, one by Spike Lee. The movie has all the hallmarks of an old-school Spike Lee film, including the measured pacing that he brings.
The film had the potential to be a fast-paced thriller, one that could’ve rang triumphant in theatres without a doubt. But with its pacing being so slow, and dialogue being so disjointed, it doesn’t allow itself to peak. Instead, it focuses more on being a Spike Lee joint than the actual story. The daps, shoutouts to HBCUs, and strategically inserted old man jargon were all reminders of whose film this is. But in doing so, he fortified a level of uniqueness that would’ve been absent in a faster-paced blockbuster.
Every Spike Lee joint has a particular score that caters to his filmmaking. It’s unmistakably appropriate and, as always, very Black. This soundtrack is no different, ranging from classics like James Brown’s “The Payback” to A$AP Rocky’s “Trunks”, a song unique to the film, it sets the tone for every scene from beginning to end.
The cast includes Rick Fox, Rod Strickland, Ilfenesh Hadera, Aubrey Joseph, Jeffrey Wright, Elijah Wright, A$AP Rocky, Wendell Pierce, Andy McQueen, and many more. The cameos were a blend of the O.G. actors from Spike’s catalogue that dates back to the late 80s, and new faces that younger audiences would recognize. Ice Spice, Dean Winters, Nicholas Turturro, Rosie Perez, Anthony Ramos, and the late Eddie Palmieri, among others.
Whether it was a character rambling off dialogue while staring into the camera or an unexpected rap battle, the film went boldly where no other crime flick has gone before. It was unapologetically Spike Lee and a love letter of authenticity to New York City.
Highest 2 Lowest gets an 8.5 out of 10. The dynamic between Jeffrey Wright and Denzel Washington was impressive. It’s the duo I didn’t know I needed until experiencing this film. It also marks the feature film debut of Wright’s son, Elijah. It’s refreshing to see a film with so much personality. The only thing I would change is the runtime. The last 30 minutes or so felt very long, and truthfully, they could’ve wrapped it up long before that. Thankfully, it doesn’t ruin the experience. It’s surprising this won’t have a longer run in theaters, but at least if you miss it, you can watch it on Apple TV+ within a few weeks (but see it in theaters if you can).
In theaters for a limited release on August 15th and September 5th on Apple TV+.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Courtesy of A24
Genre: Crime/Drama/Mystery
Rating: R
Runtime: 2 hrs 13 mins
Trailer: Watch
U.S. Release Date: August 15 | September 5 on Apple TV+