Highest 2 Lowest review: Spike Lee joint is Denzel Washington at his best

It's been almost two decades since Denzel Washington and Spike Lee collaborated, and their fifth movie, Highest 2 Lowest, is a return to form for the iconic duo. They are nearing Robert De Niro-Martin Scorsese territory with this one.

Highest 2 Lowest—a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1963 movie High and Low—follows David King (Denzel Washington), a once revolutionary record label producer. He had an eye for talent, hailed the “best ears in the business,” and built an empire. Now, he is trying to buy back the company after previously selling it. He remains on the board, but he wants control back.

One day, his son, Trey (Aubrey Joseph), is kidnapped. Additionally, the son of David's right-hand man, Paul Christopher (Jeffrey Wright), is taken as well. Kyle Christopher (played by the real-life son of Jeffrey Wright, Elijah Wright) is one of Trey's teammates on his basketball team.

The kidnapping pits David in a moral dilemma. That is the crux of Highest 2 Lowest, and he must wrestle with what the right thing to do is.

For better or worse, Lee brings his trademark style to Highest 2 Lowest. From breaking the fourth wall to showing love to his hometown New York Knicks, the film has his fingerprints all over it.

There are flaws, sure, but Highest 2 Lowest is one of the highest-tension movies he has ever made. It's another entry in his hot streak after BlacKkKlansman and Da 5 Bloods.

If nothing else, he gets the best performance out of Washington in recent memory. David King is cold and calculated, and Washington nails it.

Highest 2 Lowest review: Denzel Washington's best late-career performance

Throughout his illustrious career, Washington has won countless awards. He's one of the greatest actors of all time, and yet, he continues to evolve.

In recent years, he's become an action hero in the Equalizer franchise and adapted Shakespeare in The Tragedy of Macbeth. He's also done crime procedurals like The Little Things and continued to do theater work as well.

Highest 2 Lowest isn't as over-the-top as his role in Gladiator II, but there's a tenacity behind the eyes of David that Washington conveys. The moral crisis he deliberates weighs heavily on him and leaves it to Washington to be able to get that across.

He is counter-balanced by Wright. While Paul may not have had the same success as David, he shares it with the King. There are years' worth of backstory that we, the viewers, will never see. Washington and Wright do share a connection that is authentic.

Wright gives an impassioned performance as Paul. When his son is taken, Paul is on the verge of a breakdown. Some actors would overdo it in these roles, but Wright toes the line.

Then there's the supporting cast, ranging from Wright's son to rappers like Ice Spice and A$AP Rocky. Elijah Wright's first role was in Highest 2 Lowest, and he leaves a mark in his limited screen time. He has one of the most physically involved roles of the actors, and he does a tremendous job in one of his first acting gigs.

A$AP Rocky is a surprise standout. While he has previously had roles in Zoolander 2 and If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, he plays a pivotal part in Highest 2 Lowest.

There is conviction behind every word he says. He goes toe-to-toe with Washington, and he more than holds his own. He is the most intense performer in the movie, and Lee deserves a lot of credit for getting it out of him.

Spike Lee gets in his own way

If there was a fatal flaw, it'd be that Howard Drossin's Highest 2 Lowest score can be invasive at times. His jazz background influences the piano-heavy score.

It's beautiful work, really, but there are too many occasions where the score is telling you how to feel. Conversations where David is wrestling with his moral conflict have a heavy dosage of a score.

The job of the score is to complement what's happening on screen. Drossin should have allowed the audience to come to their own decision on how to feel in a given scene. There are too many times when that is not the case.

Take the Bronx train ride set piece as an example. While some characters are on the train, others are on the ground, while a Puerto Rican festival is going on in the Bronx.

Beautiful music is being played at the festival, but add that into the chaos that is already happening, and Drossin's score becomes sensory overload. The intention is to keep you on the edge of your seat, but this may have been a step too far.

It's just how some of Lee's signature flair can be overwhelming at times. The jumpy editing is the biggest culprit. There are a lot of cuts between characters in conversation. Sometimes, it adds intensity to their words. Other times, it makes for a nauseating effect.

Lee is an auteur, and sometimes, he gets in his own way. It's a lot like Wes Anderson and his signature style. In recent years, his perfectly symmetrical schtick, which began as a wholesome signature aesthetic, has become tired.

Should you watch Highest 2 Lowest?

There's something magical about having a new Spike Lee-Denzel Washington collaboration in theaters like Highest 2 Lowest. They are a match made in Heaven, and they should have reunited sooner.

Highest 2 Lowest, while a remake, is a nice return to form (and New York) for Lee. His best work has come when he works in the Big Apple. There is a clear comfort level that shows whenever he works there.

Sometimes, Hollywood needs a throwback. Highest 2 Lowest is a remake, but it feels like a movie that would have come out in the late '90s or early 2000s.

Despite its flaws, Lee does a good job creating tension in his movie. One particular sequence in a recording studio especially stands out. Cinephiles should rejoice that a new Spike Lee joint with Denzel Washington is here. Don't take it for granted.