Highest 2 Lowest

I guess the name of the movie Highest 2 Lowest is a pun on how "good" the movie is, a little high (Denzel and Jeffery's dramatic acting) and A LOT of LOWS (the entire script and poor acting from most of the cast). After watching the original movie High and Low by Akira Kurosawa I was intrigued to check out this remake by Spike Lee but gotta say I'm very disappointed in how far this movie falls short of Kurosawa's classic. In all honesty I don't believe Spike was the right person to even direct such a remake and instead I believe this movie should've been directed by someone like Scorsese who would've made the film the action thriller it should've been instead of this confusing mess that Spike Lee made. I'll rate this movie a 5 out of 10 due to the simple fact that the script is horrible despite Denzel Washington and Jeffery Wright carrying the movie, everyone else seemed like rookie actors who made the movie feel like a made for BET or Lifetime movie. I also have no idea why this movie went over 2 hours, lol I felt compelled to walk out the theater from being so underwhelmed with how cringeworthy the last 10 - 20 minutes of this movie became. I actually would've been more favorable towards this movie had it been shorter, like probably giving this a 6/10 but it just went on for far too long and quickly became a trainwreck to watch, it seemed as if Spike didn't even know how he wanted to end the movie so instead he prolonged it with unnecessary scenes. I believe this movie should've been released directly on Apple TV instead of having a short theatrical run.

I've got to say, I was pretty disappointed with "Highest 2 Lowest." I came in with high hopes, but the plot just felt all over the place. It's like the film tried to juggle too many stories at once without giving any of them the attention they deserved. As a result, none of the individual character arcs felt complete, and it was hard to get invested in what was happening.

The editing, which is usually a strength for Spike Lee, felt jarring this time around, jumping from one thread to another before you could really settle in.

As for whether it's worth watching, I'd say probably not. For me, the film's biggest issue is its narrative cohesion. It felt like a collection of interesting scenes that never quite came together to form a meaningful whole. While the performances were solid, the lack of a clear, focused story made it a bit of a tough watch.

An interesting concept with solid acting and a well paced execution. It's not Denzel Washington's best film, but it's still a good one.

Naturally, with the music industry being core to the film, the incidental music is varied and good. However, the background music is simply terrible, sometimes sounding like a schlocky drama and other times like a cheap soap opera and in several scenes, it totally broke the mood. It shows the value of having a good background track and this film simply doesn't.

I went into this film with high expectations, especially since it's a Spike Lee project starring Denzel Washington. Unfortunately, Highest 2 Lowest left me disappointed. The acting felt superficial and unconvincing, as if the performances were more about style than substance. For a story that's supposed to explore deep moral conflicts, the characters never really came alive for me.

Visually, the movie has its moments - colorful, energetic shots and a strong New York vibe - but that doesn't make up for the weak emotional core. The pacing was uneven, and instead of being drawn into the drama, I often felt detached, watching a performance rather than being immersed in the story.

Overall, it's a film with big names and bold visuals, but little depth. For me, it was more style than heart, and I walked away feeling underwhelmed.

⭐ Rating: 2/5.

The music and the soundtrack makes this an almost unwatchable movie.

Too long.

The secondary roles are poorly acted.

The wife is not believable.

The plot is stretched and makes no sense.

The pacing is slow and hard to digest.

Missed opportunity to make a good movie.

Some scenes drag too long just for the sake of it.