Overview

• Spike Lee’s modern remix of Kurosawa’s High and Low transposes the 1963 shoe-industry ransom plot to today’s New York music business with Denzel Washington as mogul David King.
• Early reviews single out Denzel Washington and Jeffrey Wright for commanding performances, with A$AP Rocky drawing notice for his electric turn as the kidnapper Yung Felon.
• Reviewers universally applaud the film’s second-half urban set pieces—most notably a subway chase and Puerto Rican Day Parade scenes—for their kinetic energy.
• Critics agree that the first hour suffers from tonal unevenness and structural gaps, faulting an overdramatic score and underdeveloped supporting roles.
• The movie hits theaters on Aug. 15 and will stream on Apple TV+ starting Sept. 5 following its New York premiere on Aug. 11.