Highest 2 Lowest (2025)
Spike Lee's gripping crime thriller puts Denzel Washington at the center of a ransom crisis that tests the limits of wealth, power, and conscience.
Highest 2 Lowest - Movie Information
- Original Title: Highest 2 Lowest
- Release Year: 2025
- Directed by: Spike Lee
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Thriller, Crime, Drama
- Age Rating (US): R
- Runtime: 2h 13m
- Original Language: English
- Spoken Languages: English, Spanish
- Alternative Titles: Рай и Ад (RU), З Небес на Землю (UA), כופר לא לו (IL), Yüksəkdən Alçağa (AZ), Highest to Lowest (US), 천국부터 지옥까지 (KR)
- Production Companies: A24, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, Escape Artists, Mandalay Pictures, A/Vantage Pictures, Kurosawa Production
- Production Countries: United States of America, Japan
Highest 2 Lowest - Plot
When a titan music mogul, widely known as having the "best ears in the business", is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma.
Highest 2 Lowest - Trailer
Watch the official trailer and see the tension unfold:
All $$ ain't good $$.
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Highest 2 Lowest - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Spike Lee
Main Cast
- Denzel Washington
- Jeffrey Wright
- Ilfenesh Hadera
- Elijah Wright
- Aubrey Joseph
- A$AP Rocky
- John Douglas Thompson
- LaChanze
- Dean Winters
- Wendell Pierce
Writers
- Alan Fox
Producers
- Todd Black
- Jason Michael Berman
Highest 2 Lowest - FAQs
Is Highest 2 Lowest based on a true story?
No, Highest 2 Lowest is not based on a true story. It is a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1963 Japanese crime classic High and Low, itself adapted from Ed McBain's novel King's Ransom. Spike Lee transplants the story to the contemporary New York music industry, reimagining the original's moral and social tensions in a modern American context.
Who plays David King in Highest 2 Lowest?
Denzel Washington plays David King, the powerful music mogul at the center of the film's ransom crisis. Washington's character is described as having the best ears in the business, a titan whose wealth, reputation, and moral compass are all put to the ultimate test when a kidnapper's demand forces an impossible choice.
What is Highest 2 Lowest about?
Highest 2 Lowest follows David King, a dominant music industry mogul, who becomes the target of a calculated ransom scheme. When the kidnapper's demand lands on the wrong victim, King is thrust into an agonizing moral dilemma — pay a fortune to save someone else's child, or protect his own empire. The film explores class, conscience, and the true cost of power.
Is Highest 2 Lowest a remake of a classic film?
Yes. Highest 2 Lowest is a remake of Akira Kurosawa's landmark 1963 thriller High and Low (Tengoku to Jigoku). Spike Lee relocates the story from postwar Japan's shoe industry to the modern New York music world, updating its exploration of wealth inequality and ethical responsibility for a contemporary American audience.
Where can I stream Highest 2 Lowest?
Highest 2 Lowest is available to watch on Apple TV and Apple TV Amazon Channel as a flatrate streaming option. Availability may vary by region, so checking your local streaming platforms is recommended for the most current options.
Who directed Highest 2 Lowest?
Highest 2 Lowest was directed by Spike Lee, the acclaimed filmmaker behind Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, BlacKkKlansman, and Inside Man. Lee brings his signature style and socially charged perspective to this remake, setting the story against the backdrop of New York City's music industry.
What is the age rating for Highest 2 Lowest?
Highest 2 Lowest is rated R by the MPA. The rating reflects content appropriate for adult audiences, likely including strong language, mature themes surrounding crime and moral conflict, and potentially intense or violent sequences. Viewers under 17 require accompanying parent or adult guardian.
How long is Highest 2 Lowest?
Highest 2 Lowest has a runtime of 2 hours and 13 minutes (133 minutes). This gives Spike Lee ample space to develop the film's layered moral drama, its ensemble of characters, and the slow-burn tension of the ransom investigation across its New York City setting.
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