Spike Lee Releases 'Highest 2 Lowest' Trailer Starring Denzel Washington, A$AP Rocky

Spike Lee’s new film, Highest 2 Lowest, is a modern reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low, set in contemporary New York City with Denzel Washington starring as a music mogul targeted by a ransom plot. The film also features A$AP Rocky in his first significant acting role as Washington’s character's son, with Spike Lee praising Rocky’s performance and chemistry with Washington. Highest 2 Lowest debuted at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and will be released in theaters on August 15 before arriving on Apple TV+ on September 5. The movie, written by Alan Fox and Lee, is produced by Apple, A24, Escape Artists, and Mandalay Pictures, marking the fifth collaboration between Lee and Washington. The soundtrack includes contributions from A$AP Rocky, and the film explores themes of moral dilemmas and crime in the music industry. Critics have noted the film’s strengths when it diverges from the original Kurosawa narrative, with many positive festival reviews.