Apple TV+ Users Have One Major Complaint About Spike Lee's New Movie With Denzel Washington

Spike Lee's "Highest 2 Lowest" (which Chris Evangelista reviewed for /Film) is a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1963 kidnapping thriller "High and Low," which was, in turn, inspired by Ed McBain's 1959 novel "King's Ransom." The premise is alluring: A wealthy man, situated in his mansion atop a high hill, is on the cusp of securing a lucrative business deal. He suddenly receives a call, however, that his son has been kidnapped. The kidnapper wants a hefty ransom, so the mogul immediately begins amassing the ransom money, openly insisting that money means nothing when his son's life is on the line. It's then revealed that the kidnapper made a mistake and accidentally kidnapped the son of the mogul's chauffeur. The kidnapper still demands the same ransom, so the mogul faces a moral reckoning. Is his chauffeur's son's life worth the same amount of ransom? He hesitates to pay.

The second half of the story, in both "High and Low" and "Highest 2 Lowest," involves the ransom exchange, the reunification of the kidnapped child with their father, and a prolonged, concerted effort to apprehend the kidnapper. "High and Low" is ultimately about humility and how the mogul character, played by Toshiro Mifune, learns to de-emphasize wealth and live modestly. His wealth, you see, inspired nothing but resentment from the impoverished kidnapper. "Highest 2 Lowest," on the other hand, replaces that humility with resolve and pride. The mogul this time — a record executive played by Denzel Washington — isn't only fixated on wealth and status; he's also concerned about his place in Black music history. Spreading the talents of Black artists has been culturally significant, and he needs to retain his ability to do that to stay relevant.

Most critics liked "Highest 2 Lowest" (it has an 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes), although many also agreed that the first half of the film is haphazard and unfocused, while the second half is more propulsive and significant. And both critics and audiences agree: the music sucks. Indeed, some of Lee's musical choices are downright baffling, and Apple TV+ subscribers are registering their grievances online. 

A bit more: Washington stars in "Highest 2 Lowest" as David King, a fictional record company executive who was once celebrated for being an early-2000s hitmaker but has since fallen on hard times. He now aims to buy control of his record company from his partners. It's a risky move, as no one knows if he still has the ability to find hot musicians the way he used to. David is confident that he can turn his company back around, but no one has faith that he'll be able to do so. Paying the kidnapper's ransom will essentially ruin him. But, in his mind, it will also prevent the proliferation of Black artists throughout an already-beleaguered industry. He's an interesting Spike Lee creation. 

The entire first half of "Highest 2 Lowest" lays out all the details of David's situation, the tension he feels over his business, and the doubt his family holds. His chauffeur, played by Jeffrey Wright, is a close friend whom David saved from crime and poverty. When the kidnapping drama begins, the cops are called in and rescue plans are put in motion. The kidnapper (A$AP Rocky) calls and makes demands. All of these scenes are the fodder of typical Hollywood thrillers and should move with a taut, steely determination. 

But Lee, with his music choices, drains these moments of tension. In one scene, a pack of cops (played by LaChanze, John Douglas Thompson, and Dean Winters) gather to discuss the risk of the situation, and Lee plays gentle, soft jazz over the action. Meanwhile, Washington is accompanied by a dramatic score every time he's onscreen, as though it's the climax of the movie. This is even the case when he's merely wandering around his kitchen at home or simply getting out of his car.

Reactions online have noticed the bad music of "Highest 2 Lowest." Some Letterboxd fans have called the score "overbearing" and "one of the worst things" about the film. One Twitter/X user even noted that the score sounded like incidental music from an MMORPG.

The film's music has even inspired threads on Reddit, asking if a good movie can be ruined by bad music. Others have taken issue with the film's strange bifurcated pace, which is only exacerbated by the problems with the score. The entire first half of the film should be tense; after all, it deals with a hostage situation where it feels like people are at risk. Instead, Lee takes long breaks to allow David to be alone with his thoughts. It's not until the movie's second half that its pace begins to pick up, its ideas start to form, and it emerges as a pretty great picture.

Robert Daniels wrote a very positive review of "Highest 2 Lowest" for RogerEbert.com, but even he admitted that the film's first half is "a wilderness" and that its music is ... noticeable. As he put it, "The pacing is laborious; the characters in the frame appear distant; the lighting and framing seem staid and sterile; the score chews through each and every scene." At the same time, not everyone has been perturbed by the movie's score. As Stephanie Zacharek, who reviewed the film for Time Magazine, put it, "Howard Drossin's magnificent score — sometimes majestic, sometimes achingly melancholy — follows the movie's shifting moods perfectly." 

The film's two drastically different halves are separated by an extended ransom-drop sequence set on a New York City subway stuffed full of Yankees fans. The sequence is underscored by the music from a nearby Puerto Rican music festival, and the upbeat, celebratory performance provides a very necessary energy to the film at large. After that moment, the score seems to behave. Lee then becomes re-invested in the material and actually emerges with something to say about fame, the shifting nature of music production, and the nature of criminal resentment. "Highest 2 Lowest" is best when it's not emulating "High and Low." It may be sloppy, but it's definitely worth a delve. Just be warned that the music is a little off. 

"Highest 2 Lowest" is now streaming on Apple TV+.