Pop Culture Happy Hour: “Highest 2 Lowest”
Date: August 18, 2025
Episode Theme:
A review and critical discussion of Spike Lee’s new crime thriller “Highest to Lowest,” starring Denzel Washington. The hosts delve into the film’s artistic and thematic choices, its homage to Kurosawa’s “High and Low,” and Spike Lee’s ongoing evolution as a filmmaker.
Main Discussion Overview
- Film under review: “Highest to Lowest,” directed by Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington as David King, a wealthy record mogul.
- Source material: A reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s “High and Low,” itself adapted from Ed McBain’s novel, “King’s Ransom.”
- Central Conflict: A mistaken kidnapping forces David to choose between his own fortune and the life of his friend’s son.
Panel:
- Linda Holmes (Host)
- Aisha Harris (Co-host)
- Soraya Nadia McDonald (Guest: cultural critic and journalist)
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Spike Lee & Denzel Washington: Filmmaking Chemistry
- Reflections on Spike Lee’s Career:
- Aisha Harris (04:19): “I am just so happy that in the year 2025, we're still getting new Spike Lee joints… And I think his last several movies, starting with BlackKklansman and then of course, the very, very great Da 5 Bloods from 2020. He seems to be on a roll here.”
- Hosts agree this is a return to form, especially following the less successful “Oldboy” remake.
- On the film’s relevance:
- “It does translate, I think, so well across cultures, across generations. It's still very relevant, and I love seeing this twist on it.” — Aisha Harris (04:55)
2. Cinematic Foundations & Opening Sequences
- Spectacular Brooklyn Visuals:
- Soraya Nadia McDonald (05:32): “I went to a screening earlier this week and realized that I was looking at David King's building… I think this is actually one of my favorite establishing shots of Spike's career, is the opening to this movie… just expansive shots of Brooklyn, of the Dumbo clock tower.”
- Music Setting the Tone:
- Linda Holmes (07:02): “The first thing you see in this film is those wonderful shots of New York with this Norm Lewis rendition of 'Oh, What a Beautiful Morning' from Oklahoma, which I think is such a fabulous choice…”
3. Artistic Choices: Soundtrack, Score, and Visual Motifs
- Orchestral Music as Subversion:
- Linda Holmes (08:54): “It has a kind of what I would consider like an old Hollywood orchestral score… I have seen so many much lesser directors… be like, it's about crime. It's about, quote unquote, an urban setting. Therefore, everything must be hip hop. I love a big orchestra… It works so well for a movie that’s about music. I adored the use of music.”
- Dissent on Score Usage:
- Aisha Harris (10:00): Suggests Spike Lee’s use of orchestral music can sometimes be distracting and questions his stance on hip hop’s role in the film: “I was questioning sort of how Spike feels about hip hop today based on the way this movie pans out.”
- Soraya Nadia McDonald (11:34): Suggests the score feels “very much like in your face... [with] Aaron Copland influences…”
- Both note the film integrates actual rappers like Ice Spice, Princess Nokia, and A$AP Rocky into cameo roles (14:37).
4. Characterizations, Culture, and Thematic Subtleties
- David King and His World:
- The panel examines the portrayal of David King’s penthouse as a space adorned with works by Black artists (Basquiat, Kehinde Wiley, Toni Morrison), reflecting both status and his supposed cultural sensibility (06:57–13:31).
- However, they note the film doesn’t meaningfully show the music that David loves, raising questions about the authenticity of his identity as a music mogul.
- Black Wealth, Class, and Responsibility:
- Aisha Harris (18:29): “This is some very Oprah-esque, like, Tyler Perry-esque… this idea of black wealth being an insulator against actual criticism.”
- The show's handling of class and intraracial dynamics—especially between David and Paul (Jeffrey Wright)—feels acknowledged but underexplored. Harris and McDonald both wish for more direct confrontation and complexity in these relationships (19:27–20:09).
- Linda Holmes (15:16): “I don’t think it’s as morally complex as I thought it might be… I think there's a very fair question of, like, is that a thing? Like, what is the relationship between these two men and how does it work?”
5. Performance Highlights
- Jeffrey Wright’s Role:
- Linda Holmes (15:48): “I love [Jeffrey Wright] in this. I think he's so good and makes. Gives this story a whole other level of both kind of humanity and humor, which is so welcome.”
- All agree Wright’s performance is a highlight, and some wish he’d had an even larger role.
- On Denzel Washington:
- Aisha Harris (17:35): “As much as I loved watching Denzel work and he himself is also kind of back in a groove...”
6. Narrative Structure and Missed Opportunities
- Surface vs. Depth:
- The hosts discuss how certain plot threads—especially the potential for class conflict and questions of responsibility—are acknowledged but not fully pursued.
- Linda Holmes (20:09): “They’re outwardly acknowledged… but there’s not a lot of kind of plot energy that goes into them.”
- Example of nuanced conflict—a scene between David and his son highlights generational tension around public image and moral duty (21:07).
- The hosts discuss how certain plot threads—especially the potential for class conflict and questions of responsibility—are acknowledged but not fully pursued.
- Puerto Rican Day Parade Sequence:
- Panel universally praises the film’s use of this setting, both as a musical and cultural set piece (17:35–18:00).
7. Memorables Quotes & Moments
- “Oh, what a beautiful morning…” — Soraya Nadia McDonald playfully bursts into song in response to the film’s opening (07:36).
- “You get sort of closer and closer to Spike, kind of approaching old man yelling at Cloud a little bit through Denzel in this film at times.” — Soraya Nadia McDonald (12:21)
- Aisha Harris, on Spike Lee’s authorial presence: “He is an auteur. Like, when you're watching a Spike Lee movie, you always know it's a Spike Lee movie. And that's both a good thing and sometimes it can be a frustrating thing.” (10:00)
- Linda Holmes, on Spike Lee’s wide-ranging influences: “That he is so interested in what you would consider… high culture and pop culture and sports and lots of different kinds of music and musical theater. I love, kind of. He draws from such an incredibly wide catalog of influences and references.” (16:41)
- On A$AP Rocky’s musical outro: “That one song that A$AP Rocky has features in at the end is… quite, it’s a bop.” — Aisha Harris (22:02)
Segment Timestamps
- 02:43 – Introduction of guest Soraya Nadia McDonald and plot summary
- 04:19 – General impressions of the film and Spike Lee’s recent work
- 05:30 – Praise for Brooklyn visuals and setting
- 07:02 – Discussion of film’s opening sequence and soundtrack
- 10:00 – Debate over orchestral vs. hip hop elements in the score
- 13:31 – Commentary on David King’s artistic and musical identity
- 15:16 – Reflections on moral questions, character dynamics, and Jeffrey Wright’s performance
- 17:35 – Puerto Rican Day Parade scene and continued praise for cast
- 18:29 – Discussion on class, wealth, and responsibility within Black communities
- 21:07 – Generational conflict between David and his son, effect of social media
- 22:02 – Musical highlights and closing thoughts
Overall Takeaways
- Enjoyable but Imperfect: The hosts agree “Highest to Lowest” is visually arresting, musically inventive, and benefits from strong central performances (especially from Denzel Washington and Jeffrey Wright). While it nods to complex themes—class division, Black wealth, fatherhood, and moral responsibility—it doesn’t fully interrogate them, occasionally favoring style over depth.
- Spike Lee’s Signature: The film is recognizably a Spike Lee “joint,” filled with insider cultural references, New York flavor, and an ambitious mixture of highbrow and populist influences.
In Short
Spike Lee’s “Highest to Lowest” is celebrated by the Pop Culture Happy Hour panel as a stylish, thoughtful, and musically rich reinterpretation of a cinema classic, even as it leaves some thematic and narrative opportunities on the table. The episode blends sharp critique with genuine appreciation, painting a vivid picture for listeners—whether or not they’ve seen the film.
Notable Quotes:
- “This is such a fun time… Maybe not as deep as I wanted it to be, but it’s fun.” — Aisha Harris (22:02)
- “Tell us what you think about Highest to Lowest. Find us on Facebook and on Letterboxd…” — Linda Holmes (22:24)
[For further discussion, connect on Facebook or Letterboxd. More info in episode description.]