Spike Lee’s “Highest 2 Lowest”, a new, modern day interpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s “High and Low”, is quite a ride! Denzel Washington is as good as ever, delivering an electric, knockout performance in his fifth collaboration with Lee (and first since 2006’s “Inside Man”). Washington is the reason to watch “H2L”, which is now streaming on AppleTV+ alongside a limited theatrical run.
He plays David King, a longtime music exec taking a gamble on the next steps of his career. That all changes when he and his wife learn their son has been kidnapped — by someone who wants $17.5 million. What do you do? And what do you do when the facts suddenly change? David — and we — are presented with some interesting dilemmas, tied to family, class, success, friends, fame, confrontation, high stakes, the state of the music biz and the choices we make.
The first hour of “Highest 2 Lowest” explores all of this in pretty effective ways, though the character dialogue is a little too explanatory. Bridging the first and second half is a chase sequence that, like the entire movie, is unconventional for a number of reasons (including an overall free flowing vibe and music and editing decisions), but compelling nonetheless.
From then on, “H2L” spins its wheels a little bit. There isn’t as much depth or effective commentary, though still enough intrigue to keep you invested to the end. I just wish the final act wasn’t so straightforward, even as Washington elevates the material with his approach to every scene.
LCJ GRADE: B-
Running Time: 134 min.