“Highest 2 Lowest” is the newest film by director Spike Lee (“Do the Right Thing,” “Malcolm X”). From A24, it is the story of music mogul David King (Denzel Washington) and his chauffeur Paul (Jeffrey Wright). David is told his son has been kidnapped for a $17.5 million ransom. After discovering Paul’s son was kidnapped by mistake, David faces a stressful dilemma about whether or not he can put up the money.

Remaking the Akira Kurosawa film “High and Low,” Spike Lee is not only ambitious enough to localize a Japanese film for Americans, but ambitious enough for a film that is 62 years old. Lee had a confident understanding and vision for presenting “High and Low” in 2025. The toxicity and fickle nature of social media users was authentic. They denounced David for hesitating on paying the ransom and soon after he caved, they called him a superhero. The rapper villain’s resolution can be seen for some rappers today. He was clearly based on Young Thug, serving as commentary on the rap industry. As far as the presentation goes, “Highest 2 Lowest” ranks among the best films to capture the beauty of New York City. The scope and cinematography are stunning to look at. In the opening sequence itself, the aerial shots hook you right into the world of David and Paul.

Denzel Washington was excellent in this, balancing the serious nature of David when faced with conflicts and the nobility he shows for his loved ones. His charisma brought out the pride and privilege the industry had cursed David with. Having realized this curse, David put his friends and family’s happiness above all else. At 71 years old, it is impressive Washington continues to thrive in the roles that define his career as if age 35 again.

Jeffrey Wright gave the best performance, showing the neverending gratitude and loyalty of Paul. To a tee, he also showed the mysterious and complex side of the character. Wright and Washington had excellent chemistry. It was easy to believe their characters were longtime friends. Ice Spice makes her film debut in a brief appearance. For the short time she appeared, she was entertaining and proved to have acting potential. This is not as much the case with A$AP Rocky. His performance was not bad, but it did not sell his character. His character, Yung Felon, had plenty of intimidating actions and dialogue. However, he came off as mild-mannered, which made for a jarring contrast with Yung Felon’s horrific crimes.

That being said, A$AP Rocky was still pleasant to watch. It was also brilliant casting a famous rapper as an insane rapper trying to gain popularity. The music in both the score and the soundtrack was wonderful. Like many of Lee’s scores, this one had a classic Hollywood vibe to it. The suspense was thrilling and satisfying.

While the film can be intense, it still manages to be funny and playful. “Highest 2 Lowest” is a lot of fun and worth a watch. It is streaming now on Apple TV+.