Spike + Denzel, together again

Spike Lee and Denzel Washington enjoy one of the richest collaborations in American cinema. Together they have made a masterpiece (Malcolm X), a couple very good films (Mo’ Better Blues, He Got Game), and one good film that is VERY fun, Inside Man (which I love). Inside Man came out in 2006 and was their last film together, until now. Their latest collaboration is Highest 2 Lowest, which premiered earlier this year at Cannes and dropped a trailer yesterday. Denzel and Spike Lee making a new movie about money and power in New York? I’m in.

The film is a loose adaptation of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low, which is itself an adaptation of a novel titled King’s Ransom. Denzel stars as David King, a mogul who gets involved in a kidnapping plot just as he’s on the brink of a massive deal. The film also stars Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, A$AP Rocky—who also provides new music for the film—and Ice Spice in her acting debut. It looks great, as one expects from the combination of Denzel and Spike Lee. I am especially into how Inside Man it looks, with Denzel’s character scheming and conniving his way out of a money-related jam all around the city.

Highest 2 Lowest hits theaters on August 15 and will debut on Apple TV+ streaming on September 5. I wish it had a longer lead time in theaters, as Denzel Washington starring in a crime thriller is the kind of movie that SHOULD make $100 million at the box office—Inside Man made $186 million back in 2006—but who even knows anymore. For sure, Apple and Lionsgate would have had to push marketing a lot harder, but these days, keeping marketing costs down is part of the playbook for these mid-budget films. Still, I’m here for a new Spike + Denzel film. It’s been almost twenty years, entirely too long for them to go without working together.