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Highest 2 Lowest

Play trailer 0:51 Poster for Highest 2 Lowest R In Theaters Fri Aug 22 2h 13m Mystery & Thriller Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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88% Tomatometer 33 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Verified Ratings
When a titan music mogul (Denzel Washington), widely known as having the "best ears in the business", is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma. Brothers Denzel Washington and Spike Lee reunite for the 5th in their long working relationship for a reinterpretation of the great filmmaker Akira Kurosawa's crime thriller High and Low, now played out on the mean streets of modern day New York City.
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Cast & Crew

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Spike Lee

Director

Denzel Washington

Actor

Jeffrey Wright

Actor

Ilfenesh Hadera

Actor

A$AP Rocky

Yung Felon

Dean Winters

Actor

Critics Reviews

View All (33) Critics Reviews
John Bleasdale Time Out Lee has made stunningly good crime thrillers – Clockers and 25th Hour – but like his protagonist, here he appears to be struggling to stay relevant and still use his own unique voice. May 23, 2025 Full Review Rory Doherty AV Club This thriller positions two men of ambition against each other, exposing the old guard’s vulnerabilities so that, through a suspense plot, they can work through their insecurities and triumphantly refuse to capitulate to insolent young upstarts. Rated: B May 21, 2025 Full Review Alison Willmore New York Magazine/Vulture Lowest reminds us, however clumsily, of how much the entertainment industry has shifted, with mentions of the attention economy and the internet. Then it turns around and makes a vivid argument on behalf of going out and doing what you love... May 21, 2025 Full Review Hector A. Gonzalez InSession Film The difference between that film and Highest to Lowest is that Spike does not want to remake a Kurosawa picture; he has learned from his mistakes. Instead, he uses it as inspiration to create something new and akin to his style and sensibilities. Rated: B- May 28, 2025 Full Review Alex Billington FirstShowing.net At best it's a Saturday Night TV movie – not meant for the big screen in any way. At worst the studio should scrap it to save face with Kurosawa and save themselves from tarnishing his legacy. Rated: 2/10 May 25, 2025 Full Review Ruben Peralta Rigaud Cocalecas Highest 2 Lowest is Spike Lee at his most accessible and at the same time his most provocative. [Full review in Spanish] May 23, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

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Movie Info

Synopsis When a titan music mogul (Denzel Washington), widely known as having the "best ears in the business", is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma. Brothers Denzel Washington and Spike Lee reunite for the 5th in their long working relationship for a reinterpretation of the great filmmaker Akira Kurosawa's crime thriller High and Low, now played out on the mean streets of modern day New York City.
Director
Spike Lee
Producer
Todd Black, Jason Michael Berman
Screenwriter
Alan Fox
Distributor
Apple Original Films
Production Co
Apple Original Films
Rating
R (Brief Drug Use|Language Throughout)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 22, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 5, 2025
Runtime
2h 13m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Digital 2.39:1