HIGHEST 2 LOWEST -- For The Love Of New York

Review by Adam Donato

Spike Lee is one of the landmark filmmakers in the history of the industry. His personality is iconic and everyone knows what he likes: Denzel Washington and New York. So when given the opportunity to remake the Japanese classic High and Low, he chose to bring his interests to the adaptation. Washington is a music mogul in modern day New York. The film will get a limited theatrical release before getting dumped on AppleTV+, but since it got buzz at Cannes, maybe this track can get hot quickly. Spike hasn’t directed a movie since 2020, will coming back to his roots spell success for him?

As a remake of a beloved Japanese classic, there’s things that this adaptation does better and worse than the original. It’s hard not to think about the contrasts throughout the film so subsequent viewings should be more appealing. Highest 2 Lowest is shorter than High and Low, but High and Low feels much more tight. The main character is given much more power, agency, and focus for the whole duration of this film. It’s clear Spike not only wanted to shape this story to his own personal interests, but he also added more themes and infused a level of silliness that’s not to be found in the original. While remakes are usually frowned upon, this feels like a prime example of the type of movie to remake as it’s been over sixty years since the original and setting it in New York instead of Japan changes so much about the film. The general stories are the same, but these are two unique experiences. 

Denzel Washington is the man. If someone wants to say that he’s just playing himself then that’s just fine considering he’s the coolest person on the planet. He’s just one of the all time greats with an unmatched it factor. His character is just given so much opportunity to flourish and Washington nails it at every turn. The performance reminds me of his last major role, which was Gladiator II. The levity that he’s able to bring is so infectious. He does look slow in the action scenes. There’s a shot of his character jumping over a subway turnstile and it’s comically obvious they got a stunt double for that. Still, Washington delivers his best performance in years here as he commands your attention for the entire runtime of this film. 

This film is about New York. Full on New York propaganda. It literally opens with pristine shots of the glorious New York City skyline. There's multiple important sequences that are built around the New York subway experience. The Yankees and Knicks are embedded in the identity of this film. Spike Lee really wears his heart for his home on his chest with this one. New York literally feels like its own character. Watching this movie is like listening to Empire State of Mind. Obnoxiously romanticizing the most main character city on the planet. It’s quite sweet. 

Spike Lee has really swung and missed with the past with remakes, but he’s seemed to figure out the formula or at least found a story that translates well to American culture. Fans of Spike will be all in on this one. It justifies its existence and gives the original a run for its money. May even garner some awards attention this year. Hopefully word of mouth gets around soon enough while it’s still in theaters. Be sure to check it out before it’s too late. 

Highest 2 Lowest will be in theaters on August 15.

Rating: 5/5