 stars Denzel Washington, Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, A$AP Rocky and Ice Spice in Spike Lee’s stylish crime thriller.){kind=link}
Directed by Spike Lee.
Highest 2 Lowest (2025) premiered in select U.S. theaters on August 15, 2025.
Distributed theatrically in the U.S. by A24 and brought to global audiences via Apple Original Films.
Movie Review
Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest updates Kurosawa’s classic into a loud, colorful New York crime drama.
Denzel Washington anchors the film with a magnetic, slowly unraveling performance as David King, a music mogul caught between wealth and conscience after a kidnapping mistake.
The city feels alive, shot with vibrant energy, and a tense ransom sequence during a parade stands out.
A$AP Rocky and Ice Spice bring contemporary music culture into the plot, sometimes with raw authenticity and sometimes with awkward notes.
The film swings between thrilling set pieces and quieter moral reckonings, though its tone wobbles when too many themes compete for attention.
At its best, the movie is thrilling, funny and emotionally charged. At its worst, it feels scattered and uneven.
Still, Highest 2 Lowest is a boldly personal work from Spike Lee that rewards viewers who enjoy style, star power and questions about class and art and resonance.
Ratings
• IMDb: 6.9/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
• Google Audience Score: 91% liked this movie.
Highest 2 Lowest Actors
Denzel Washington as David King
DOB: December 28, 1954.
Bio: One of America’s most respected screen actors, Denzel rose from theater and TV into major film stardom.
He is a multi award winner known for big dramatic turns and a quiet, magnetic screen presence.
Washington helped bring this Kurosawa reimagining to Spike Lee and anchors the film with lived-in gravitas.
Role: David King, a veteran music mogul who faces an ethical nightmare after a ransom and a mistaken kidnapping put his reputation and choices under the microscope.
What to Expect: A commanding performance that moves from cool authority to raw panic, moments of moral torment, and a few signature Washington stillnesses that say more than pages of dialogue.
Favorite Things: Washington values theater, family, and privacy; he often speaks about craft over celebrity.
Notable Works: Training Day, Malcolm X, Fences, Inside Man.
Ilfenesh Hadera as Pam King
DOB: December 1, 1985.
Bio: Born and raised in Harlem, Ilfenesh Hadera trained at the Harlem School of the Arts and Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, later earning an MFA in Text and Performance Studies from RADA/King’s College London.
She began her screen career in 2010 and has worked repeatedly with Spike Lee on projects like Da Brick, Oldboy, Chi-Raq, and She’s Gotta Have It.
Role: Pam King, David’s calm and principled wife who keeps the family grounded while crisis erupts around them.
What to Expect: Quiet conviction, practical wisdom, and scenes where Pam quietly holds the moral line as the plot grows chaotic.
Favorite Things: Cooking, fitness, and community advocacy, she often mentions that community roots and connectivity keep her grounded.
Notable Works: Godfather of Harlem, Baywatch, She’s Gotta Have It, Chi-Raq, Oldboy.
Jeffrey Wright as Paul Christopher
DOB: December 7, 1965.
Bio: Born in Washington, D.C., Jeffrey Wright earned a B.A. in political science from Amherst College in 1987 and briefly studied at NYU’s Tisch School before committing to acting.
He won a Tony Award for Angels in America on Broadway (1993) and later earned an Emmy and Golden Globe for the HBO miniseries (2003).
Role: Paul Christopher, David King’s longtime chauffeur and friend, whose family becomes tragically entangled in the kidnapping.
What to Expect: A quietly powerful performance that is both loyal and sorrowful, anchoring the film’s emotional heart.
Favorite Things: Theater, literature, and fatherhood, recurring themes in his public reflections on life and art.
Notable Works: Boardwalk Empire, Westworld, American Fiction, The Batman, Angels in America.
A$AP Rocky as Yung Felon
DOB: October 3, 1988.
Bio: Harlem-born Rakim Athelaston Mayers, professionally A$AP Rocky, began rapping at age 8 and rose through the A$AP Mob collective.
He broke out in 2011 with the acclaimed mixtape Live. Love. A$AP and released Long. Live. A$AP in 2013.
Beyond music, he’s established himself in fashion and creative direction, serving as Ray-Ban’s creative director and co-chairing the Met Gala, while expanding into acting.
Role: Yung Felon, a rising rapper whose bold choices ignite the film’s kidnapping plot. His climactic rap battle with David King becomes both a cultural showdown and an emotional crucible.
What to Expect: Volatile charisma, raw physicality, and a performance that uses music and swagger as weapons and shields.
Favorite Things: Fashion, music production, and creative direction; he blends style and performance in all his work.
Notable Works: Dope, Multiple music albums, early film roles, and high-profile music collaborations.
Ice Spice as Marisol Cepeda
DOB: January 1, 2000.
Bio: Born Isis Naija Gaston in the Bronx, Ice Spice quickly rose through Bronx drill and viral TikTok fame with her breakout hit “Munch (Feelin’ U)” in 2022.
Her EP Like..? arrived in 2023, followed by her debut studio album Y2K! in July 2024, the title nodding to her birthdate and the turn of the millennium.
Role: Marisol Cepeda, a magnetic presence in the city’s music scene who appears in one key sequence to bring genuine New York musical verve to the story.
What to Expect: A fresh, contemporary screen presence and energetic cameo that feels authentic to young New York music culture.
Favorite Things: Music, viral culture, and Bronx pride, she often emphasizes community and collaboration, and her album title Y2K! embodies both personal and generational identity.
Notable Works: Viral singles, festival performances, and now this film debut.
Aubrey Joseph as Trey King
DOB: November 26, 1997.
Bio: A Brooklyn-born actor who moved from theater to TV and film.
Aubrey first became known for his lead role on the superhero series Cloak & Dagger and has since taken on more grounded dramatic work. He brings youthful energy and family tension to the film.
Role: Trey King, the son of David and Pam, whose teenage emotions and turmoil become pivotal to the film’s ransom-driven narrative.
What to Expect: Vulnerable, real family moments and the kind of adolescent confusion that raises stakes for the adults.
Favorite Things: Acting, theater, and storytelling, continuously merging his stage origins with on-screen emotional authenticity.
Notable Works: Cloak & Dagger, The Night Of, Fading Gigolo, Run all night, The Inspection.
Wendell Pierce as Gabe
DOB: December 8, 1963.
Bio: Born in New Orleans, Wendell Edward Pierce earned a BFA at Juilliard and began his career on Broadway.
He rose to fame as Detective Bunk Moreland in The Wire, and since then has delivered powerful performances across film, television, and stage.
Also a Tony Award (as producer) for Clybourne Park, and Olivier and Tony nominations for Death of a Salesman.
Role: Gabe, an essential supporting figure who navigates between David King and the city’s power structures, offering wisdom, access, and a quiet moral center as the story unfolds.
What to Expect: A measured, real performance that grounds the film’s social and procedural beats.
Favorite Things: Theatre, family, and civic engagement, his long-term community work exemplifies his commitment to social impact through culture and action.
Notable Works: The Wire,Treme, Suits, Jack Ryan.
Michael Potts as Patrick Bethea
DOB: September 21, 1962.
Bio: A Yale Drama graduate, Michael Potts has built a remarkable career across stage, television, and film.
Known for his emotionally resonant and scene-stealing performances, he gained acclaim as Brother Mouzone in The Wire and originated Mafala Hatimbi in The Book of Mormon on Broadway.
Role: Patrick Bethea, a grounded, working-class figure whose presence and interactions infuse the film’s institutional and social milieu with authenticity.
What to Expect: Controlled work that amplifies the film’s stakes through detail.
Favorite Things: Stage work and ensemble collaboration, hallmarks of his thriving theater and creative practice.
Notable Works: The Wire, The Book of Mormon, East New York, True Detective.
Dean Winters as Detective Higgins
DOB: July 20, 1964.
Bio: Born Dean Gerard Winters in New York City, he became prominent as Ryan O’Reily on Oz.
A genre-hopping actor, he delivered memorable turns in Rescue Me, Sex and the City, 30 Rock, and Law & Order: SVU.
Since 2010, he has also played “Mayhem” in Allstate’s hit ad campaign, cementing his place in pop-culture comedy.
Role: Detective Higgins, a weathered, streetwise investigator who injects urgency into the film’s investigative arc and sharpens the procedural edge.
What to Expect: A tightrope walk between razor-sharp comedic timing and intuitive toughness, bringing earned grit to every scene.
Favorite Things: Versatility, effortlessly shifting from dark drama to TV comedy while retaining his unique intensity.
Notable Works: Oz, 30 Rock, Rescue Me, Law & Order: SVU.
John Douglas Thompson as Detective Earl Bridges
DOB: 1964.
Bio: Born in Bath, England, and raised in Montreal and upstate New York, Thompson earned degrees from Le Moyne College and Brown University’s Trinity Rep Conservatory.
He is widely regarded as one of the most compelling classical stage actors of his generation, earning awards such as Obies, Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, and a Tony nomination for Jitney.
Role: Detective Earl Bridges, a commanding figure whose presence brings theatrical authority and moral weight to law enforcement and institutional moments.
What to Expect: Commanding, scene-stealing moments when the script asks for gravitas.
Favorite Things: Classical stagecraft and ensemble storytelling, core to his artistic approach.
Notable Works: Satchmo at the Waldorf, The Bourne Legacy, acclaimed stage work.
LaChanze as Detective Bell
DOB: December 16, 1961.
Bio: Born Rhonda LaChanze Sapp in St. Augustine, Florida, LaChanze is a Tony-winning actress, singer, dancer, and Emmy-winning performer.
She won her Tony for The Color Purple (2006), and originated the role of Ti Moune in Once on This Island (1990).
Role: A role imbued with warmth, dramatic depth, and theatrical command, enriching family and ensemble scenes with emotional resonance.
What to Expect: A deeply human performance that grounds the film in lived feeling.
Favorite Things: Musical theater, storytelling, mentoring emerging talent, and inclusive representation in the arts.
Notable Works: Once on This Island, major Broadway credits and screen appearances.
Elijah Wright as Paul Christopher’s son
DOB: 2001.
Bio: Elijah Wright, born to Jeffrey Wright and Carmen Ejogo in 2001, brings a natural and grounded presence to his first major screen role.
His onscreen chemistry with his father elevates the authenticity of their familial bond.
Role: Plays Paul Christopher’s son, a pivotal figure in the kidnapping plot and emotional pivot for both families.
What to Expect: Authentic, lived-in child acting and strong chemistry opposite Jeffrey Wright.
Favorite Things: Emerging actor; public personal details are limited.
Notable Works: Highest 2 Lowest, smaller TV work, and early acting credits.
FAQ – Highest 2 Lowest 2025 Movie
Where can I watch Highest 2 Lowest?
Highest 2 Lowest (2025) premiered in select U.S. theaters on August 15, 2025 and will be available to stream on Apple TV+ from September 5, 2025.
What’s the estimated runtime?
The film runs approximately 133 minutes, a capacious crime thriller with space for character and city detail.
What inspired the storyline? Is it an original concept?
Highest 2 Lowest is a modern-day reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low, itself based on Evan Hunter’s novel King’s Ransom.
What’s the big connection between Spike Lee and Denzel Washington?
This marks the duo’s first film together since 2006’s Inside Man and the fifth collaboration overall. Spike Lee has implied it may be their final one. More on VANITYFAIR
Conclusion
Highest 2 Lowest is a vivid, personal film that wears Spike Lee’s fingerprints all over it.
Denzel Washington delivers a powerhouse performance that keeps the movie grounded while the director experiments with style, music and social questions.
The film is uneven at times, juggling too many themes, but its bold set pieces and emotional moments make it worth watching.
If you enjoy energized filmmaking that asks hard questions about class, art and responsibility, this movie will stick with you long after the credits roll.