Spike Lee’s NYC Remix: Why Highest 2 Lowest (2025) Hits and Misses
- Dan Brooks
- Nov 4
- 4 min read
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.
Okay folks, let’s talk about Highest 2 Lowest. Because when a filmmaker you respect (Spike Lee) teams up again with an actor you almost worship (Denzel Washington), you sit up, you pay attention, and you hope the popcorn doesn’t go stale before the credits roll. Did it deliver? Some of it. Did it trip over its own ambition? Also yes. But let’s dig in.
From the opening frames you know Spike’s back in his turf: New York City in all its roar and grit, the music industry glitz colliding with underbelly desperation, the high-finance suits brushing elbows with street corner deals. Denzel plays David King, a label boss whose ears are legendary (yes, that’s how the film pitches it: “the best ears in the business”). And of course your first thought is: okay, that’s a challenge. Because when you buy into the “best ears” myth, you’re setting the bar very high (pun absolutely intended).
One of the joys here: the music. Genres collide. You’ve got rap, you’ve got old-school soul, you’ve got street noise and studio glamour. The soundtrack didn’t just sit there - it pulsed. I mean, when you drop an A$AP Rocky track (as the villainous Yung Felon) and weave in Howard Drossin’s score, you’re telling the audience: this isn’t just a kidnapping thriller, this is music business meets moral crossroads. And that’s fun.
And speaking of that moral crossroads - oh boy. The ransom plot enters, the moral choices surge: payout the ransom? Protect the brand? Protect the legacy? Protect the kid? Protect the ears? Spike’s layering in social commentary (as he does) about culture, class, black business, street power, art vs commerce. For a guy who’s been making movies since the ’80s and still looks at times like he’s tearing down walls rather than building them (in a good way), you can’t fault him for ambition. Yet… and there’s always a “yet”.
See, while I was rooting for this reunion of Lee + Washington to be one of those cinematic home-runs, I kept feeling the pace wobble. The film seems to want to be a slick thriller, a music-industry expose, a morality tale, a remake-homage of Kurosawa’s High and Low, and a New York crime saga all at once. That’s like ordering a triple cheeseburger, fries, salad and kale smoothie. It’s a lot. The gears occasionally grind. Some scenes linger. Some beats feel a bit heavy-handed. Denzel at times feels like the voice of the movie announcing “Now you think about this”. And I’m like, look - I already signed up for a thriller, not a lecture - I’ll think later.
Still. While the pace can lag, the performances carry you. Denzel anchors the whole thing with gravitas. The supporting cast - Ilfenesh Hadera, Aubrey Joseph, Jeffrey Wright - bring texture and tension. And was I amused by the anti-Boston dig? Yes, Spike hasn’t let go of his New York pride (and Boston hate) and it sneaks in with a grin. I mean if you’re going to park your film in New York City you might as well let the rivalry play out.
For lovers of Spike’s earlier work, this is a chance to revisit that swagger, the “Spike Lee joint” feel, the moments when he lets the bouncing 4 train become metaphor (or whatever). It gives you what you want: style, music, moral stakes. But for perfectionists looking for tight structure, economy of narrative, and zero preachiness, you might raise an eyebrow. At times I raised two.
Because here’s the thing: the reinterpretation of a Kurosawa classic is bold. I respect that. It’s not a frame-by-frame copy. It’s a transplant: Tokyo to NYC, shoe-company exec to music mogul, chauffeur’s kid to assistant’s kid (without giving spoilers!). And yet, when you land in the “low” (the streets, the ransom drop, the suburban sensibility) the film finds more pulse. Some of the early high-life scenes risk feeling too glossy. The real friction, when the mogul leaves the penthouse and steps into danger, that’s where cinema happens.
And yes, I liked the music so much I wanted to rewind just to catch the track names. Good grief, when was the last time I did that (Guardians of the Galaxy)? I’m more recliner than rewind-button these days. But the soundtrack’s one of the film’s pleasures.
Thing I liked: the high concept, the Denzel factor, the Spike factor, the music. Thing I didn’t: the times when the movie leaned too hard on its own importance, and when it slowed down for more reflection than momentum. But hey, even a slightly slow Denzel movie is better than most of what’s out there.
So would I recommend it? Yes—if you’re in the mood for something intelligent, stylish, with heart, and willing to go along for the ride even when the ride meanders. Would I say it’s flawless? No. But in the end, that’s okay. Because at its best, Highest 2 Lowest reminds you why you loved movies about culture, morality, music and power in the first place. And you’ll probably walk out tapping your feet, thinking about your own “ears” (metaphorically) and how much you value what you listen to.
My rating: 6.0 / 10
Catch it, discuss it, argue about it, and then come back here and we’ll compare notes.
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