A stunningly curated film with poetic backdrops of iconic New York scenery. This film perfectly balances the Denzel Washington and Spike Lee movie flavor, which audiences crave. The story is about a music mogul who is targeted with a ransom plot and is forced to confront a life-or-death moral dilemma, which leads the character David King (played by Denzel Washington) to make a fast decision that could negatively impact the relationship with his longtime and loyal driver, Paul Christopher (played by actor Jeffery Wright).
This drama crime thriller will have you on edge as the story plays out. The feel and tone of the film showcases cinematic artistry, as rapper A$AP Rocky plays the central antagonist “Yung Felon.” One of his most substantial movie debuts as of today. Most notably, as character David King follows instructions from the ransom; suspense drives the story from a dropped suitcase filled with thousands of dollars. What is clearly conveyed from character of David King is his inner turmoil, which changes his character and priorities. It shares a redemptive arc for David King, from a heartless music mogul to a family man with integrity. A feel-good story that is relatable, bridging generational gaps, and tackling ideals surrounding fast money, values, family, and love. The music in the film features music by original songs by Aiyana-Lee (Highest 2 Lowest), A$AP Rocky (Trunks), other artists.
Although not cerebrally challenging, the straightforward approach of this film doesn’t leave audiences of that core satisfied. This film is not based on a true story. However, it was inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film “High and Low, which itself was based on the 1959 novel King’s Ransom by Ed McBain.
Creatively driven, multi genre inspiring, generationally relevant, historically classic, Highest 2 Lowest gained much traction in the hip hop movie world as Lee used original framework to explore contemporary themes within the fabric of American society like race, capitalism, and responsibility. A thumbs up for this film. At the core films with motivations of responsibility, morality, love, and family are always a relevant thematic injection into the psyche of America.
STREAMING ON APPLE TV & AMAZON PRIME