Denzel Washington and Spike Lee Reunite for Thriller ‘Highest 2 Lowest’

Highest 2 Lowest, a new film by powerhouse director Spike Lee, delivers a unique glimpse into modern-day New York. The trailer recently dropped, with Denzel Washington leading the cast as David King, a music industry titan known for having the “best ears in the business.” Living at the top among New York City’s elite, he never expects to become entangled in a ransom plot—wrongly targeting the chauffeur’s son instead of his own. King faces a destructive moral dilemma that forces him to weigh ambition against his responsibility to his family.

Joining Denzel, the ensemble cast includes A$AP Rocky, marking his seventeenth film involvement. A$AP will play the kidnapper and also oversee the soundtrack. Supporting him are Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, and Ice Spice in her feature debut. The trailer begins with one of Washington’s powerful narrations over the bassline of James Brown’s “The Payback,” immediately setting a mood of tension, urgency, and honor.

The trailer cuts between crisp visuals of the New York skyline—like the Brooklyn Bridge—and more intimate, tense scenes in producer offices and ransom exchanges. It highlights Lee’s long-awaited return to his native city-based narrative and style after years away. This also marks the fifth collaboration between Spike Lee and Denzel Washington, but their first in nearly two decades—the last being Inside Man (2006)—underscoring a reunion that promises emotional depth and Lee’s signature flair.

The film premiered in competition at Cannes in May 2025. Highest 2 Lowest will release in U.S. theaters on August 15th, with some markets possibly seeing a later date of August 22nd. Streaming begins on Apple TV+ on September 5.

The trailer introduces Highest 2 Lowest as both a thriller and a thought-provoking drama centered around integrity under pressure—with Denzel Washington at its moral and emotional core.