Highest 2 Lowest is the latest collaboration between two legends in director Spike Lee and Denzel Washington, and their first collab in 19 years. It was absolutely worth the wait. Highest 2 Lowest is a fun, twisty crime drama with a commanding performance from Washington, which is probably the least surprising praise you’ll read all week.
While Highest 2 Lowest is an adaptation of the novel King’s Ransom and a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s classic High and Low, Lee’s film features a myriad of inspirations. It reminded me a lot of the director’s past films, yes, but it immediately made me seek out some other great films that also capture the same stylish approach to the crime drama genre.
Inside Man
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I guess we can’t really talk about Highest 2 Lowest without bringing up Washington and Lee’s last film together, Inside Man. While a much different film, Inside Man is just as fun, and Washington brings the same level of commitment to the role of a detective trying to navigate a bank robbery. This is really the obvious follow-up to Highest 2 Lowest if you want something that exists on a similar wavelength.
What really makes Inside Man work so well is the various plot twists that are fueled by fantastic performances from Washington, Clive Owen, and Jodie Foster. It’s exactly the type of A-list cast you’d hope to find in a ’00s film, and Inside Man delivers in every conceivable way. Don’t skip this one, especially if you enjoy the sense of energy and style found in Highest 2 Lowest.
No Country for Old Men
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I’m not sure exactly what reminded me of No Country for Old Men while watching Highest 2 Lowest, but I just couldn’t shake the feeling that it was time for a rewatch once the credits rolled on the latter. For me, it’s one of those suspense movies that haunts you long after you’ve finished watching it. While the stakes are certainly not as dire in Highest 2 Lowest, it still managed to be one of those movies that left me contemplating the morals of its characters.
But while Lee’s film is something of a love letter to New York City, No Country for Old Men is more interested in the wide open west, and the crimes of the everyday person. It’s a fascinating modern western, one that is continuously referred to as one of the best films of all time. And there’s a good reason why it still works even today.
Gone Baby Gone
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Ben Affleck’s directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone, is yet another twisty tale of abduction, with a ton of reverence for style and mood. Also, like Highest 2 Lowest, this is a film that deals with moral dilemmas, though not in the ways you might expect going in. But Gone Baby Gone would not work nearly as well without Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan’s soulful performances anchoring the entire thing.
And for as much as Highest 2 Lowest loved showing off New York City and all of its glory, Gone Baby Gone is equally interested in showing viewers the dark underbelly of Boston. This movie would launch Affleck’s directing career, and for me, I believe it remains his most raw and personal film. There’s never been a better time to add this to your watchlist.
The Usual Suspects
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Most who have seen The Usual Suspects remember well that big plot twist in the final moments of the film, and I’ll admit that my mind wandered there as well not long after taking in the various twists and turns of Highest 2 Lowest. But The Usual Suspects is so much more than its oft-imitated plot twist, because everything leading up to it is just so compelling.
A lot of what’s so interesting about The Usual Suspects is the questions it leaves unanswered. Is that by design due to the nature of its unreliable narrator? The nature of life? It’s difficult to say, but you’ll be having too much fun with the characters and the narrative structure to really care all that much. The Usual Suspects is one of those crime thrillers that will get your paranoia through the roof.
High and Low
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What better way to follow up Lee’s modern, stylish Highest 2 Lowest than with the classic Kurosawa black-and-white epic, High and Low? Distinctly different from Lee’s film in tone, High and Low is still just as effective with its moral quandary, and it has aged incredibly well for a film made in 1963. A lot of that is down to Kurosawa’s direction, because let’s face it, he’s one of the best of all time.
Don’t let its age or lack of color fool you. High and Low is absolutely still worthy of finding a modern audience. In a lot of ways, I still think it’s the superior movie to Lee’s, even if I believe Highest 2 Lowest is potentially one of the best films of the year. It’s just hard to top a classic, and High and Low is that in every sense of the word.
Highest 2 Lowest is yet another fun crime thriller
Crime thrillers can be a tricky thing to navigate, but Highest 2 Lowest is the latest in a line of genre examples that truly measure up, which is saying something for a remake of a brilliant classic. A lot of that is down to Washington and Lee working so well together. Hopefully, these other films capture your imagination in the same way. But if you’re looking for some equally fun binge-worthy crime thriller shows on Netflix to watch, we’ve got some recommendations that will raise your pulse.
