Festivals - Cannes 2025 : Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest Electrifies the Croisette with Denzel Washington

By Mulder, Cannes, Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes, 19 may 2025

The Cannes Film Festival has long been a playground for legends, provocateurs, and cinematic showmen—but on May 19, 2025, the red carpet at the Palais des Festivals truly erupted with a blend of old-school charisma and contemporary swagger for the world premiere of Highest 2 Lowest, Spike Lee’s audacious reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low. What unfolded was more than just a film debut—it was an event drenched in star power, cultural resonance, and the kind of kinetic energy only Spike Lee could orchestrate. With Denzel Washington front and center in his fifth collaboration with Lee, and A$AP Rocky bringing a downtown Manhattan edge to the glitzy Croisette, the evening set a high bar for the festival’s biggest moments. Adding fuel to the fire, Rihanna made a surprise appearance, drawing screams and shutter clicks from stunned fans and seasoned paparazzi alike.

To call the red carpet a spectacle would be an understatement. While most premieres follow a fairly rigid photo-call rhythm, Highest 2 Lowest felt more like a family reunion mixed with a Harlem block party. Spike Lee, never one to play it safe with fashion, rocked an orange-and-blue-striped suit and a matching hat in tribute to the New York Knicks, setting the tone with a wink and a strut. Meanwhile, Denzel Washington—ever the cool, composed statesman of cinema—took his time on the carpet, high-fiving fans with the ease of a man who’s just as comfortable in the spotlight as he is on a Broadway stage. A$AP Rocky, exuding flair in gleaming gold accessories and custom Ray-Bans, radiated confidence alongside Rihanna, whose presence alone caused a wave of audible gasps as the pair took their seats in the Lumière Theater. And if there was any doubt that this was the premiere of the night, one only had to look at the crowd: Jason Momoa holding up Adria Arjona’s dress to protect her from the treacherous Palais steps, Ed Norton giving Spike Lee a brotherly nod of support, and Wes Anderson slipping in quietly after debuting his own film the night before.

But beyond the electric fashion and photogenic moments, the real heart of the evening lay in the film itself. Clocking in at 133 minutes, Highest 2 Lowest is a muscular, modern-day neo-noir that transplants Kurosawa’s moral thriller into the heartbeat of New York City. Denzel Washington plays a music mogul celebrated for having “the best ears in the business,” only to be ensnared in a chilling ransom plot that challenges his ethics and exposes the cracks beneath his empire. But it’s A$AP Rocky—credited with the main role—who delivers a breakout performance as Yung Felon, an aspiring rapper whose hunger for success drags him deep into a treacherous criminal underworld. With Ice Spice making her film debut, and stellar turns by Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, and Wendell Pierce, the ensemble crackles with authenticity and lived-in gravitas. Cinematographer Matthew Libatique captures the city in stark, high-contrast tones, evoking a sense of anxiety and urgency that pulses through every frame.

As the end credits rolled, the Lumière audience responded with a five-and-a-half-minute standing ovation—an organic, enthusiastic outpouring of respect that visibly moved both Lee and Washington. It wasn’t just applause for a film—it was a celebration of risk, of legacy, of reinvention. This marked Lee’s return to Cannes in spectacular fashion, years after his acclaimed BlacKkKlansman won the Grand Prix in 2018 and decades after his Palme d’Or-nominated Do the Right Thing. His place in Cannes lore is well-earned, and Highest 2 Lowest may well be remembered as another defining chapter in his storied relationship with the festival.

The journey to Cannes was as compelling as the film itself. Initially developed before the COVID-19 pandemic, the script by William Alan Fox first landed on Lee’s desk years ago, but it wasn’t until Denzel Washington signed on that the project truly ignited. Spike Lee’s rewrite deepened the New York narrative and sharpened the moral quandaries at the film’s core. Principal photography began in March 2024 and wrapped just before summer, with editing handled by longtime Lee collaborator Barry Alexander Brown. Music by Howard Drossin adds a moody, jazzy backbone to the story, while Lee’s own production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, brought together a coalition of creative forces including A24, Apple Studios, and Escape Artists. The result is a sleek thriller that feels like both a throwback to classic noir and a sharp commentary on modern fame, race, and power.

In a festival teeming with auteurs and buzz, Highest 2 Lowest didn’t need competition to dominate the conversation. Set to hit U.S. theaters on August 22 via A24 before dropping on Apple TV+ on September 5, the film is poised to generate plenty more discussion in the months ahead. But for those who were lucky enough to be on the Croisette on May 19, 2025, this was one of those Cannes moments that transcended cinema—a vivid, swaggering collision of art, politics, music, and fashion, wrapped in one unforgettable premiere night. As the flashbulbs faded and the stars slipped back into the night, one thing was certain: Highest 2 Lowest didn’t just screen at Cannes—it owned it.

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Synopsis : 
A music mogul, renowned for having “the best ears in the business,” is the target of a ransom demand that forces him into a moral dilemma between life and death.

Highest 2 Lowest
Directed by Spike Lee
Written by William Alan Fox
Based on High and Low by Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, Ryūzō Kikushima, Eijiro Hisaita and King's Ransom by Evan Hunter
Produced by Todd Black, Jason Michael Berman
Starring  Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, ASAP Rocky, Ice Spice
Cinematography : Matthew Libatique
Edited by Barry Alexander Brown, Allyson C. Johnson
Music by Howard Drossin
Production companies : A24, Apple Studios, Escape Artists, Mandalay Pictures, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, A/Vantage Pictures
Distributed by A24 (United States), Apple Original Films
Release dates : May 19, 2025 (Cannes), August 22, 2025 (United States), September 5, 2025 (Apple TV+)
Running time : 133 minutes

Photos : @fannyrlphotography