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Highest 2 Lowest

Play trailer 1:52 Poster for Highest 2 Lowest R Aug 2025 2h 13m Mystery & Thriller Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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84% Tomatometer 224 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 1,000+ 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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Highest 2 Lowest

Highest 2 Lowest

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Critics Consensus

Spike Lee and Denzel Washington remix a classic with vibrantly contemporary results in Highest 2 Lowest, a swaggering thriller that lovingly showcases New York City.

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Audience Says

Spike and Denzel are the lean, mean engine behind Highest 2 Lowest, a cultural gem that cruises through the heart of New York City blasting cool tunes and delivering an unforgettable ride that’s got soul, style, and swagger.

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Critics Reviews

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Craig Mathieson The Age (Australia) The moral twists that follow...have a simmer, but as soon as the plot moves onto the city’s streets the energy, in both the performances and Lee’s almost joyous camera moves, goes up a satisfying notch. Rated: 3/5 Sep 18, 2025 Full Review Dwight Brown DwightBrownInk.com Hard to put it in a box. It’s got weak and strong elements. But once it ends, you realize that you’ve just been entertained. Rated: 3/4 Sep 15, 2025 Full Review Donald Clarke Irish Times The old-bloke attempts to engage with the contemporary music scene border on the embarrassing. Some of the casting is unfortunate. The film is never boring, but, once that delightful opening winds down, the action clunks where it should purr. Rated: 2/5 Sep 11, 2025 Full Review Nicholas Bell Fish Jelly Films (YouTube) There are several fatal flaws hobbling Spike Lee's latest joint Highest 2 Lowest, a film heavily stamped by his signature flourishes but ruined by a tepid, corny screenplay suggesting an erosion of benevolence for those at the top and bottom of the.... Rated: 2/5 Oct 23, 2025 Full Review Sean P. Means The Movie Cricket There’s one set piece that ranks among the best work Lee has ever done: A sequence where David has to hand off a backpack with the ransom, shot through a lively Puerto Rican neighborhood festival. Rated: 3/4 Oct 13, 2025 Full Review James Kendrick Q Network Film Desk Lee imbues the film with a strong emphasis on family and the challenges of moral certainty, which gives Highest 2 Lowest a vitality that even its various weaknesses can’t entirely undercut Rated: 2.5/4 Oct 8, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Tommy H not bad, but not great Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/25/25 Full Review lupe V I enjoy this movie, especially because it is a true story in life Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/12/25 Full Review BoLo I loved how the movie showed how a good man living his dream is willing to risk it all for a friend and relationship with his own son. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/25/25 Full Review Bryan Thought provoking, great horror movie Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/24/25 Full Review Gray A great mystery with action. Denzel and Jeffery never disappoint. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/21/25 Full Review Kenneth C Denzel and Spike strike again!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/20/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Highest 2 Lowest

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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
A24
Production Co
A24, Escape Artists, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, Mandalay Pictures, Apple Original Films
Rating
R (Brief Drug Use|Language Throughout)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 15, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 5, 2025
Runtime
2h 13m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Digital 2.39:1
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