Spike Lee’s newest film, Highest 2 Lowest, marks the fifth time he’s collaborated with Denzel Washington. The film is an interpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low (1963) and based on the novel King’s Ransom (1959) by Ed McBain.

Lee beautifully blends Kurosawa’s film and McBain’s novel into a riveting story about record executive. Lee’s story is about wealth, class, privilege that’s reminiscent of a famous Ralph Waldo Emerson quote, “Money often cost too much.”

David King (Denzel Washington) is on the verge of buying back controlling stakes in his record company to halt its sale to another label. He fears all the new acts on the label will be shelved and replaced by A.I artists.

On the eve of the deal being closed, King’s son Trey (Aubrey Joseph) is kidnapped along with the son of his driver Paul (Jeffrey Wright). The kidnapper is demanding $17.5 million dollars in ransom for the kid. There’s a mix-up and Trey is returned home safely, but the kidnappers still have Paul’s son and are requesting the money in exchange for his life. King is caught in a dilemma – does he pay the ransom or does, does he call the kidnapper’s bluff or he wait for NYPD to solve this case.

King finds himself in a moral conundrum and a cat-and-mouse game with the kidnappers to return Paul’s son safely.

One thing Lee does very well since Do the Right Thing (1989) is make the city of New York a central character. New York and New Yorkers are a central part of this film. There are beautiful shots of the Brooklyn Bridge, the subways, the Puerto Rican Day Parade, Yankees stadium, loud Yankees fans, and some Knicks vs. Celtics banter. Lee was able to infuse the energy, the dreams of making in a big city, and the love that makes New York a special place. New York City is as much of a character in this film as the actors.

Even with Lee’s ability to direct the film at a high level, what makes the film work is its performances. Ilfenesh Hadera (plays King’s wife Pam) and Aubrey Joseph give wonderful performances in supporting roles. It’s hard to ignore how incredible Washington and Wright are. There are scenes that call for both actors to be a little melodramatic, angry, emotional, or happy and they nail these scenes every single time. They both bring an emotional weight to scenes and will immediately deliver a joke with energy. It was beautiful to watch those two go back and forth and be believable as best friends. Lee’s ability to bring the best out of these two incredible actors is what makes this movie work so well.

To be fair, the trailers for the film do not do it justice. It’s a fun story that has some serious beats but also makes time for humor and gives the audience space to think about what they would do in the situation and what things in life they truly value. Lee puts a great spin on a classic film that will make it palatable for a new audience.

Highest 2 Lowest is a delightful film. Spike Lee has been making films since the Reagan era and hasn’t lost his fastball. He’s had a mix of feature films, short films, and documentaries. This film shows he’s not slowing down anytime soon. This film only makes me wish he worked more with Denzel. When they get together, it’s always a good time.

Grade: B+