Highest 2 Lowest

Expected more from Spike Lee. Very misfitting score that belonged in a Star Wars type film. We don't need loud distracting music over every scene. The double edited shots were also distracting and over done. Bad acting from many of the supporting cast. Slow start, could have easily tightened the edit. This film didn't seem to know what it was. No clear vision. A little preachy. And a kind of dull story line with no twist!

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 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.

I was wondering why a Spike Lee/DenzelWashington film was being released with so little fanfare. And then I finally saw the movie. What a stinker.

How bad?

1) Bad dialogue that seems straight from a crappy Law and Order episode.

2) Bad acting from most of the supporting cast. The trio that play the cops are totally unbelievable, with a special call out to the atrocious acting of Dean Winters. He should stick to his Allstate commercials.

3) Bad music. Why didn't Spike hire his trusted composer Terence Blanchard? Instead he went with music that sounded like it came from a bad 1990's drama.

4) Bad editing. Some really strange choices made, including over edited (or badly directed) dialogue scenes and 2 out of nowhere arbitrary wipes. And nothing brings out tension in a paying the ransom scene than cutting away to musical moments from the Puerto Rican parade.

Just awful.

I don't know if the intention was to make this movie feel like a soap opera, but unfortunately that's exactly how it played out. The pacing was uneven, the dialogue felt forced, and the story lacked real depth. The characters came across as flat and unconvincing, which left me very disappointed overall.