Overview
Thirty-five years ago, Spike Lee (American Utopia) directed his fourth film. Following a jazz trumpeter portrayed by Denzel Washington (Gladiator II), Mo' Better Blues started one of cinema's finest filmmaker-actor collaborations. Before that decade was out, the pair also made 1992's Malcolm X and 1998's He Got Game together. Then came 2006's crime-thriller Inside Man. Next, after a nearly two-decade wait, arrives Highest 2 Lowest.
Lee and Washington are two of the biggest names in America filmmaking, and they're back in business together, teaming up on a movie that premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and will soon stream Down Under via Apple TV+. Highest 2 Lowest initially dropped a sneak peek back in May, asking if audiences can "handle the mayhem?". Ahead of the A24 flick's cinema release in the US, the picture has just unveiled its full trailer.
The latest Lee-directed joint not only sees two icons reunite, but also reimagines the work of another. This time, the two Oscar-winners (Lee for BlacKkKLansman's screenplay, Washington for Glory and Training Day) are reinterpreting 1963 crime thriller High and Low from Akira Kurosawa.
In the New York City-set Highest 2 Lowest, Washington plays a music mogul who is about to navigate quite the chaos. His character is renowned for having the "best ears in the business", then is saddled with a ransom plot, while also being faced with a moral dilemma with potentially grave repercussions.
Also featuring Ilfenesh Hadera (Godfather of Harlem), Jeffrey Wright (The Last of Us), Ice Spice and A$AP Rocky (If I Had Legs I'd Kick You), Highest 2 Lowest is Lee's first film since 2020, when both Da 5 Bloods and concert movie American Utopia released.
The movie has a date with US cinemas from Friday, August 22, 2025, then viewers everywhere — including in Australia and New Zealand — will be able to watch Highest 2 Lowest via Apple TV+ from Friday, September 5, 2025.
Check out the full trailer for Highest 2 Lowest below:
Highest 2 Lowest streams via Apple TV+ from Friday, September 5, 2025.