Spike Lee & Denzel Washington Reunite for Cannes-Bound 'Highest 2 Lowest'!

 

Just when it couldn't get any better, the visuals from the trailer are amazing! The crisp, clear cinematography is a 10/10. The trailer opens up, showing viewers a vibrant, loud, and blue bridge that transitions to the Brooklyn Bridge. Many bold colors are demonstrated in the trailer and speak volumes to the crime thriller theme that Highest 2 Lowest conveys. The fiery red and vivid blue flags from the Puerto Rico Day parade scene, the flashing police lights, as well as Washington intensely staring and gazing into what feels like our souls, all foreshadow the sense of danger and conflict. The trailer plays James Brown’s “The Payback” while Washington comes through with a voiceover that heightens the mood, places you in the shoes of his character, and asks a mysterious question: “Can You Handle It?” The “It” in question being money, mayhem, lovers, success, failure, memes, and everything in between. And that’s exactly what the film is about.

 

Written by Alan Fox and directed by Lee, Highest 2 Lowest centers its storyline around Washington being a music mogul who is known for having the “best ears in the business”; however, he is targeted with a ransom plot and conflicted with a life-or-death moral dilemma. Highest 2 Lowest is set to take place in New York City and is a reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s classic 1963 Japanese film High and Low. Both are inspired by the mystery novel King’s Ransom written by Ed McBain. Kurosawa’s film has a similar plot to Highest 2 Lowest but is far from identical. Check out the trailer for the Kurosawa film below for comparison:

 

 

 

Highest 2 Lowest marks the fifth film that Spike Lee and Denzel Washington have collaborated on, and the most recent film in 20 years. The last film Denzel and Spike worked on was 2006's Inside Man. The two have previously collaborated on Mo’ Better Blues (1990), Malcolm X (1992), and He Got Game (1998). Fans are excited, especially after waiting two decades for another Spike-Denzel collab. 

 

Denzel Washington & Spike Lee have not released a film together since Inside Man in 2006. But Inside Man is two masters of their craft operating at the highest level. I put Denzel & Spike up there with any actor-director duo in film history. Give me #Highest2Lowest, god damn it! pic.twitter.com/LbwuIja00Q

— Cinema Tweets (@CinemaTweets1) May 6, 2025

 

Highest 2 Lowest is produced by some big names, including A24, Apple, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, Escape Artists, and Mandalay Pictures. It will be premiering on May 19 at the Cannes Film Festivaland then release in theaters on August 22. If you’re more of a comfort watcher in your own space with your own blanket and pillows, the movie will be available to stream on Apple TV beginning September 5.

 

The trailer itself is already gaining Spike and Denzel aura points all over the internet, fans are hype and anticipating the release. The cast, the visuals, and the incredible Spike and Denzel collaboration are major!