Spike Lee has crafted a pulsing New York adventure that doubles as a love letter to the city’s sports and music scene. His remake of Akira Kurosawa’s classic downbeat noir High and Low transplants the action from Yokohama to New York, with Denzel Washington starring as David King, a prosperous music producer.
King befriends Aoki, a loyal chauffeur played by Yutaka Sada, and his son Trey is kidnapped. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that the kidnapper has mistakenly taken Kyle, David’s godson and Paul’s son. The police investigation raises questions about class and loyalty as King must decide whether to risk his business to save someone who isn’t family.
Lee injects a new note of worldliness with the police’s suspicion that Paul might have staged the abduction. However, it is Detective Higgins, a racist white cop, who ultimately reveals this possibility. The film features a suspenseful subway train sequence and a rap-battle-style face-off between King and a young rapper played by A$AP Rocky.
Denzel Washington delivers a great performance as David King, bringing his signature charisma to the role. The film is a big, muscular picture that aspires to the crowd-pleasing athleticism of Spike Lee’s sports icons. Overall, it is an enjoyable film that sparks debate on class and loyalty in the high-stakes world of music production.
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Source: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/may/19/highest-2-lowest-review-spike-lee-and-denzel-washington-remake-kurosawa-in-fine-style