It’s been five years since Spike Lee last released a film. His most recent work, Da 5 Bloods (2020), marked a strong political statement, as much a war film as a meditation on race and legacy. Now, Lee returns in full force with Highest 2 Lowest, an apparent police thriller that is, in fact, much more than it seems. The film is a bold remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic, High and Low, and stars Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, and A$AP Rocky. This marks the fifth collaboration between Lee and Washington, and perhaps their most mature yet.
The story follows David King, a successful music producer and
founder of Stackin’ Hits Records, whose son is kidnapped on the same day
he’s about to close a multi-million-dollar deal. What unfolds is a gripping
series of twists and revelations. Beyond the tension and mystery, the film
delves deep into the modern cult of celebrity, the moral decay of the
entertainment industry, and the way fame and fortune have come to eclipse
integrity and community — themes that feel strikingly relevant in today’s pop
culture landscape, where figures like Sean “Diddy” Combs and Kanye
West dominate headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Highest 2 Lowest explores questions of success, responsibility, and identity. What
does an artist owe to the community that shaped him, and to himself? Lee uses
the framework of a thriller to expose the commodification of art, and
the moral toll that comes with success in an industry that often prizes profit
over purpose.
According to The New Yorker, critic Richard Brody describes
the film as marking “a conservative turn for the iconoclastic Spike Lee”:
“It’s fascinating when filmmakers make drastic changes late in their
careers, as Martin Scorsese did with The Wolf of Wall Street and Francis
Ford Coppola recently with Megalopolis. Now it’s Spike Lee’s turn, and
in his new drama Highest 2 Lowest, he changes in a surprising way.”
Without giving away spoilers, which would do a disservice to both Lee and
this remarkable film, it’s fair to say that Highest 2 Lowest argues for
a return to moral clarity. Greed, vanity, and the erosion of decency, especially
within a music world largely built on Black creativity, are depicted not as
abstract ills, but as urgent crises demanding introspection. The pursuit of
instant celebrity, even through violence or scandal rather than talent, is
shown to be as destructive as it is seductive.
Simply put: it’s an excellent film. The work of a mature
filmmaker who still knows how to surprise, provoke, and move an audience. I
had the privilege of watching it in Spike Lee’s company, at a private screening
high in the Hollywood Hills, classic Hollywood style, complete with good
food, drinks, and even a live performance by the singer Aiyana-Lee, who
plays Sula, a friend of the producer’s son who ends up signing with his
record label. Her scene in the film is one of its most arresting moments.
Don’t miss Highest 2 Lowest. You’ll like it — and it will make you
think.
Photos: Gaby Atherton
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