Highest 2 Lowest is the latest collaboration between Denzel Washington and Spike Lee, marking their fifth film together. It is also a fascinating crime story starring Washington as David King, a powerful and wealthy music mogul whose son is targeted by kidnappers, hoping to get a ransom. However, when the kidnappers capture the wrong boy, King must weigh his responsibilities against the expectations placed upon him.
The movie is already a streaming success, having been released on Apple TV+. With plenty of people checking out the movie, many fans are likely looking for other crime movies that have a similar vibe. They are in luck, as there are some great movies centered around kidnappings, ransoms, and some other interesting Denzel Washington movies that Highest 2 Lowest fans will certainly want to check out next.
High And Low (1963)
The most obvious movie to check out if you’re a fan of Highest 2 Lowest is the movie that inspired it. The Spike Lee movie is actually a remake of the 1963 crime thriller High and Low from legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. It follows a similar story of a wealthy executive at a shoe company whose son is targeted for kidnapping, only for the criminals to capture his chauffeur’s son by mistake.
Kurosawa’s movie is much more interested in exploring the moral dilemma of the premise than Lee’s version. As such, the movies feel very different and have contrasting tones, despite the fact that they are telling the same story. It makes High and Low an essential viewing experience after watching the modern retelling of the tale.
Ransom (1996)
The high stakes of a ransom plot are at the center of Highest 2 Lowest, but one of the best movies to explore this concept is the thriller Ransom. Mel Gibson stars as a wealthy businessman whose son is taken by a band of vicious criminals who are demanding millions for his return. However, when the father begins to fear they will not return his son even if the ransom is paid, he turns the tables on his kidnappers.
Ransom is a darker and more violent movie than Highest 2 Lowest, but it also delivers some huge thrills. The taut premise builds tension throughout as we see whether this desperate father’s risky gamble will pay off. Like Highest 2 Lowest, it also deals with themes of those in positions of wealth and power being challenged by the lower-class people they often ignore.
Inside Man (2006)
Highest 2 Lowest is a welcome reunion for Denzel Washington and Spike Lee, marking their fifth movie together. It also makes for a great companion piece to their previous collaboration, Inside Man. The crime thriller stars Washington as a police negotiator who is called in to deal with a bank robbery in New York City that has become a hostage situation. However, it soon becomes clear that this is no ordinary bank robbery.
Inside Man builds on the classic heist movies that came before while also serving as its own unique take on the genre. Lee delivers his most commercial movie yet and retains his filmmaking voice. Like Highest 2 Lowest, it succeeds in being a gripping crime thriller but also contains rich characters and even a sense of humor that livens up the whole experience.
Man on Fire (2004)
Highest 2 Lowest is not the first kidnapping thriller Denzel Washington has starred in. In fact, the genre helped give him one of his best starring roles with Man on Fire. Washington stars as Creasy, a troubled former operative who takes a job as a bodyguard for a family in Mexico City. He quickly forms a bond with the young daughter (Dakota Fanning), sending him on a mission of revenge when she is taken for ransom.
The movie is a much more action-packed thrill ride compared to Highest 2 Lowest. Looking at the two movies shows Washington’s incredible range as Man on Fire sees him playing an ice-cold killer to great effect. It is a brutal and exciting movie that continues to gain more love from fans over the years.
All the Money in the World (2017)
All the Money in the World is another movie featuring a kidnapping and ransom. It stands apart from the others because it is also based on a wild true story. Michelle Williams stars as Gail Harris Getty, whose son is kidnapped, only for her father-in-law, oil tycoon J. Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer), to refuse to pay the ransom demands.
One of the most interesting aspects of Highest 2 Lowest is how King (Denzel Washington) struggles with the idea of paying the money to save someone else's son. The themes of greed are even more powerful in All the Money in the World, espeically with a family member unwilling to cooperate. It makes for a story that seems too strange to be true.