Spike Lee and Denzel Washington team up for ‘Highest 2 Lowest,’ a contemporary take on Kurosawa’s thriller

Spike Lee and Denzel Washington have reunited after 18 years to present their fifth film collaboration, “Highest 2 Lowest” (2025), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2025. This neo-noir thriller is a modern reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic “High and Low.” In the film, Washington stars as David King, a seasoned music mogul planning a takeover of his company, but his son gets kidnapped during a summer basketball camp, plunging King into a tense and emotional ordeal set against the backdrop of New York City. The film explores themes of power, loyalty, and the impact of social media, while featuring rich basketball culture references. It also marks Lee’s first narrative film since 2020. After a successful festival debut, the movie premiered in select cinemas on August 22, 2025, before streaming on Apple TV+ from September 5, 2025. The film has been noted for Lee’s masterful direction and Washington’s compelling performance, continuing their legacy of creating impactful cinema that reflects societal issues.