A resonant voice sings “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” from the musical “Oklahoma” at the start of Spike Lee’s neo-noir crime thriller “Highest 2 Lowest,” showing through Labor Day at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center. As the credits roll and music plays, the camera pans across the New York City skyline, which sparkles at sunrise. How could anything go wrong with the city looking so fine?
The first scene propels us into the fast-paced story. David King (Denzel Washington) is on the phone, pacing on the terrace of a luxurious high-rise. He is dressed sharply, clearly anxious to set up some sort of deal or transaction, which initially remains a mystery. When he enters his lavish apartment, which exudes wealth, we meet David’s beautiful wife, Pam (Ilfenesh Hadera), and their son, Kyle (Elijah Wright). Beneath all the glitz, though, is genuine love, which will later be tested.
Soon, in David’s ultramodern office, we learn that he was once indeed “king” of the music industry with his recording business, which has lost its luster. Stackin’ Hits Records is on the verge of being bought out if he can’t stop the deal, which involves a lot of finagling … and money. But it seems that David, who is flailing to save his legacy, may still be king again.
But life has a way of getting in the way, and it does, for sure, when David receives a call from a kidnapper demanding a $17.5 million ransom for Kyle, who has disappeared during his basketball practice. Desperate to get him back, David and Pam are happy to pay the money, even if it puts their finances in jeopardy. But complications galore ensue, and David must wrestle with a life-or-death moral quandary.
To say too much more about the plot would include spoilers. But an enticement should be one of the film’s highlights — a suspenseful New York City chase scene that involves racing cop cars, a subway jammed with rowdy Yankees fans, a raucous Puerto Rican Day celebration, and many motorcycles flying through the streets. Here, as elsewhere in the film, music features prominently, not just as a soundtrack but as an integral part of the narrative. This includes a pivotal role played by Grammy-winning New York rapper A$AP Rocky and a film debut by Ice Spice.
“Highest 2 Lowest” is Lee’s modern reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film “High and Low,” which itself is loosely based on the 1959 novel “King’s Ransom,” by Ed McBain, about a wealthy shoe company executive who is asked to pay a ransom after his son is kidnapped. The film highlights Lee’s deep admiration for Kurosawa, the legendary Japanese director. It is also the fifth collaboration between Lee and Washington, whom Lee often praises as “arguably the best actor on the planet.”
“Highest 2 Lowest” explores themes like Black solidarity, friendship, family, and social media’s role. The British Film Institute best describes Lee’s new work, as “a corporate drama and crime thriller combined into one that’s all about power, money, and self-interest in the world of modern Black capitalism and the music biz.”
“Highest 2 Lowest” screens through Labor Day at the M.V. Film Center. For tickets and information, visit mvfilmsociety.com/2025/08/highest-2-lowest.