Reunited after almost two decades, Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington and director Spike Lee return with Highest 2 Lowest, a gripping crime thriller set in contemporary New York City. A new, daring take on Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low, the latest cinematic “joint” combines raw drama, high-octane performances, and hard-edged urban landscapes into one of the most hotly awaited movies of 2025.
The teaser has now gone official and is already creating immense hype and buzz.
The Fifth Time’s the Charm: Washington and Lee Stoke Their Creative Spark
Few collaborations between directors and actors have been as influential as Denzel Washington and Spike Lee. They have four classic collaborations under their belts, including Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, He Got Game, and Inside Man, and the tandem returns for a fifth collaboration with Highest 2 Lowest. Highest 2 Lowest promises to see the duo revisit the provocative storytelling and social critique that have been hallmarks of their earlier efforts but filtered through the modern lens of power, celebrity, and family.
Lee has referred to the movie as highly personal and culturally charged work, and Washington’s reunion with him is central to that vision.
Plot Preview: A Music Mogul Confronted with a Life-or-Death Moral Choice
Washington is a music industry giant, widely respected for having the “best ears in the business.” At the height of his career, he is the victim of a kidnapping and ransom plot that places him at the center of an agonizing moral dilemma.
Faced with the impossible choice of holding on to his empire or losing it so that he can do what is right, the character’s internal struggle sets the stage for a scathing critique of wealth, loyalty, and justice. The teaser hints at another tour-de-force performance by Washington, who plays a role that recalls his gritty work in Training Day and American Gangster.
A$AP Rocky Joins the Legacy: From Rap Royalty to Dramatic Lead
In one of the film’s most inspired casting choices, A$AP Rocky appears as Yung Felon, the son of Washington’s character and a principal figure in the film’s overdrive drama. The choice was partly inspired by viral memes pointing to the similarity between Rocky and young Denzel Washington, which Spike Lee parried with a nodding wink of familiarity.
Rocky, who broke into the movies in 2015’s Dope, is now becoming a force on the dramatic side. Spike Lee praised Rocky for his fearless acting, saying, “There are some scenes where he and D go head to head he ain’t backing up. Like, ‘I’m here too.'” The music phenomenon is quickly becoming a screen presence in his own right, and he is also starring in this year’s Sundance, Darling If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.
Supporting Cast Shines with Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, and Ice Spice
Highest 2 Lowest boasts a starry supporting cast featuring the incomparable Jeffrey Wright, Godfather of Harlem actress Ilfenesh Hadera, Law & Order stalwart Dean Winters, and veteran stage actor John Douglas Thompson. It takes its big-screen bow with rap icon Ice Spice, whose mysterious character is already making waves.
With this cast, the film promises solid performances across the board, with each actor adding more depth to a story filled with tension, family dynamics, and social commentary.
From Kurosawa to New York: A Classic Crime Story Retold for the Modern Age
The film is a modern retelling of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low based on Ed McBain’s 1959 novel The King’s Ransom. Both the original and its remake hinge on a choice by a man of power when a kidnap victim: not his, but the son of one of his underlings.
Spike Lee revisits this notion with a modern spin to examine the intersection of celebrity, capitalism, and morality within America’s showbiz hub. As he described last year, Kurosawa’s work guided his own path early in his career. “I was affected by Kurosawa throughout my career from the early stages,” Lee stated. Screening Rashomon during film school made me create She’s Gotta Have It.”
Behind the Scenes of a Cinematic Powerhouse: Apple, A24, and 40 Acres and a Mule Join Forces
It was written by William Alan Fox and Spike Lee and made with a powerhouse cast by A24, Apple Original Films, Escape Artists, Mandalay Pictures, and Lee’s 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. It was shot entirely in New York City, with acclaimed cinematographer Matthew Libatique’s Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream donating his signature visual style.
Veteran filmmaker Todd Black, who collaborated on Fences and the Equalizer series with Washington, joins the actor once again for this film. The shoot was wrapped in May 2024, and the product has already gained the appreciation of film legends.
According to reports, Lee recently showed the film to Martin Scorsese, who “gushed” over Washington’s work and expressed his joy at seeing the project come to life.
World Premiere at Cannes and Release Dates Coming to Theater and Streaming
Highest 2 Lowest will have its international out-of-competition premiere at the Cannes Film Festival later this month before release to a general audience. This strategic release positions the film for good reviews and award consideration before its wide release.
The film will open in select theaters on August 22, allowing fans to see it on the big screen. It will then open globally on Apple TV on September 5, ensuring it reaches viewers both in theaters and at home.
Watch the Teaser Now: A Glimpse at the Chaos, Conflict, and Cinematic Brilliance Ahead
The official Highest 2 Lowest teaser is now available. It offers a chilling first glimpse of the film’s moody atmosphere, intense action, and emotional performances. It asks an unsettling question that follows throughout the film: Can you endure success? Can you endure the love?
With a dream cast, a director-actor combination for the ages, and a story that hums with suspense and relevance, Highest 2 Lowest will be one of the year’s must-see films. This is not just a thriller. It’s a bold film statement from two of the greatest ever to play the game.
Are you ready to handle it?
