Denzel Washington and Spike Lee are joining forces again on , and their new movie may help them accomplish something they've never done together. Since working together for the first time on 1990's Mo' Better Blues, Denzel and Spike have worked together on a few occasions. Highest 2 Lowest marks the fifth collaboration between them, but it's also the first in nearly 20 years. They've been unable to find a project to make together since then, despite the 2006 heist film earning critical and financial success.
The reunion aspect of Highest 2 Lowest is a key reason why the remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1963 thriller is so anticipated. Apple Studios is backing the film and is hoping that the movie will be a major hit across the board. The early response to Highest 2 Lowest is very positive following its debut at the Cannes Film Festival, which creates more confidence in the film. Currently sitting at 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie is considered one of Denzel and Spike's best movies. That could give it a strong chance to gain recognition that their previous films didn't.
Across the last 35 years of working together, Denzel Washington and Spike Lee have found tremendous success together. All of their movies have been warmly received by critics. Their first collaboration together has the lowest score across their three-plus decades of working together. , but Highest 2 Lowest is currently tied for that top spot now. In any case, that means all five of Denzel and Spike's movies have strong reviews and fresh scores on Rotten Tomatoes.
The duo is more recognized for the critical reception to their movies, especially because the box office returns have not always been massive. Mo' Better Blues and He Got Game both made under $25 million domestically, and neither was released internationally. Malcolm X came close to making $50 million, but the over 3-hour biopic drama couldn't pull in larger audiences. It also wasn't awarded an international release.
| Movie | Box Office | Critic RT Score | Audience RT Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mo' Better Blues (1990) | $16,153,593 | 71% | 75% |
| Malcolm X (1992) | $48,169,910 | 89% | 91% |
| He Got Game (1998) | $21,567,853 | 80% | 83% |
| Inside Man (2006) | $186,003,591 | 86% | 85% |
The only major box office hit that Denzel and Spike have produced is Inside Man. By tackling a crime/heist action movie and utilizing more star power with Jodie Foster and Clive Owen, the film broke through in a significant way. , and it also still stacks up nicely with some of Denzel's highest-grossing movies. It's unclear if Highest 2 Lowest will get a real chance to be a financial hit thanks to Apple's unorthodox release plan.
The critical and financial success that Denzel and Spike have experienced together is notable. But so too is the fact that they have never generated an Oscar win across their collaborations. , and it got two: one for Denzel in Best Actor, and another for Ruth E. Carter in Costume Design. Unfortunately, Malcolm X did not win either of its Oscars. Al Pacino won Best Actor that year for Scent of a Woman, while the Costume Design winner recognized the work on Bram Stoker's Dracula.
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The lack of Oscars recognition for Spike and Denzel together is surprising considering their histories individually. By the time they worked together on Mo' Better Blues, Spike was fresh off his first Oscar nomination as a writer for Do the Right Thing. Denzel had also been an Oscar nominee for Best Supporting Actor for Cry Freedom, but he also . The musical comedy's timing was perfect to recognize both further, but the movie failed to get into awards conversations.
There are still debates about whether Denzel should have won Best Actor for Malcolm X. Pacino's win was long overdue, as he had never won an Oscar before. His win in 1993 was viewed as a chance for the Academy to make up for overlooking his past Oscar-worthy performances. That potentially came at Denzel's expense, although there's no way to know for sure that he would've beaten Robert Downey Jr. (Chaplin), Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven), or Stephen Rea (The Crying Game) if Pacino didn't win.
He Got Game and Inside Man also didn't break into any Oscar races, and it's unlikely they ever would have. But, it's worth remembering that , while Denzel is still a favorite for nominations. After not being able to deliver an Oscar-winning movie previously, it is now up to Highest 2 Lowest to possibly break that trend.
Highest 2 Lowest might not even be out yet, but it's not too early to begin thinking about its Oscar potential. The early reviews are encouraging, and Apple's willingness to debut it at Cannes suggests that the studio is ready to give the film a major awards season push. Apple has done that before with Killers of the Flower Moon, so now . It'll just need to do better than Killer of the Flower Moon's 0 for 10 performance at the Oscars to get Spike and Denzel's movie a win.
Based on the early reactions, it seems that . The response suggests that Spike's script and direction are solid, but not among his best. He could get nominated for his screenplay and direction even if he doesn't win. Denzel, on the other hand, is an early contender to get some award attention. Whether he can actually win Best Actor is a different question, as the race is expected to be wildly competitive this year.
This could mean voters will need a major narrative reason to give Denzel the Oscar for Highest 2 Lowest, or to just recognize the movie with a victory in any category. The duo have already planted seeds for a storyline that could entice Academy voters to be more favorable to the new film.
There are lots of complicated factors that go into Oscar voting that extend well beyond the sheer quality of work for a movie. Awards campaign budgets, support from others in Hollywood, and performances at precursor awards are all important. But, there's also a proven history where historical narratives can help sway results. Someone who has a strong relationship with the industry and the Academy can often find greater success with their last movie.
Highest 2 Lowest is already being positioned as the end of Spike Lee and Denzel Washington's collaboration. The director said as much at the Cannes Film Festival when teasing Highest 2 Lowest is the last movie they'll do together:
It has been a blessing, this body of work between us, doing films that people love. And I think this is it. He’s been talking about retirement. But five films together: that’s good, they stand up.
As teased by Lee's comments, Washington has been talking about retiring soon. If that comes to fruition, then Highest 2 Lowest will likely be the last time they work together. That could improve the film's Oscar chances if this narrative gains traction. Voters may want to ensure that one of Denzel Washington and Spike Lee's movies win an Oscar. And after failing to recognize them previously, would benefit from previous oversights and go down in history.
