Highest 2 Lowestcalls to mind a very specific type of film, and whetting the appetite with similar features will be the perfect way to get into the headspace needed for Denzel Washington’s next big role. The upcomingSpike Lee jointwill feature Washington as the partner of a music label whose lucrative attempt to take control of the business is interrupted by the kidnapping of his son’s friend.
Primarily a drama and thriller,Highest 2 Lowestwill assuredly feature the same sprinklings of comedy that even the most serious ofSpike Lee’s moviestend to indulge in. Similar films will include daring kidnapping plots, eccentric casts of characters, and an adrenaline-fueled race against the clock to rescue a missing person.
10High And Low
The most obvious movie to watch in preparation forHighest 2 Lowestisthe film’s spiritual predecessor, Akira Kurosawa’sHigh and Low.Highest 2 Lowestis a modern-day Western re-imagining ofHigh and Low,which was in turn based on the 1959 Ed McBain novelKing’s Ransom.The two films have very similar plots, with the change in scenery being the biggest departure.
Like manydirectors inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s work, Lee will assuredly pay homage to the master of Japanese cinema with his latest picture. Having a solid foundation to compareHighest 2 Lowestto before it comes out will certainly make the viewing experience a richer one.
9Man On Fire
Highest 2 Lowestwon’t be Washington’s first time starring as the only hope of a kidnapped child.Man on Fireposits him as the bodyguard of a wealthy family’s 9-year-old (Dakota Fanning), who is thrust into violence when his ward is kidnapped by a violent gunman, forcing him to endure a gauntlet of corrupt cops and criminals alike.
ThoughMan on Fireis far more action-focused thanHighest 2 Lowestis likely to be, the two have some clear parallels by way of Washington’s starring role in each. It’ll be fascinating to see how the two compare to one another, with director Tony Scott’s blockbuster sensibilities not too dissimilar from Lee’s signature style.
8The Big Lebowski
Though it’s known as an irreverent stoner comedy first and a character-drivenCoen Brothers moviesecond,The Big Lebowskiis indeed a kidnapping movie at its core. While it may be The Dude’s coveted rug that begins the narrative as the victim of the crime, it isn’t long before the presentation of severed toes puts human lives at stake.
As a dark comedy,The Big Lebowskiechoes some of the same devil-may-care attitude towards serious subjectsthat Lee is often known to play with, andHighest 2 Lowestis sure to be no exception. The meandering nature ofThe Big Lebowski’s plot also calls to mind the similar ambitions of Lee’s latest script, which promises a colorful odyssey throughout New York City.
7Oldboy
Strangely enough,Lee has already adapted an English-language version of a popular Eastern filmrevolving around kidnapping. Based on the 2003 classic of the same name,Oldboystars Josh Brolin as a man who is kidnapped and imprisoned within a hotel room for years, only to break free and seek revenge on his captors.
At the time of its release, the movie was largely critically panned, though it offered the same level of ghoulish gore the original was known for. It’ll be interesting to seewhether Lee’s next adaptation can learn from the failings ofOldboyor if it will suffer the same pitfalls. Perhaps the grimness of the firstOldboysimply didn’t suit Lee’s style well enough.
6Taken
Perhaps the most iconic movie in the kidnapper revenge thriller niche, Liam Neeson’s star vehicle was initially potent enough to spawnan entireTakentrilogy. The film centers on a group of criminals who kidnap the daughter of the wrong man; Neeson’s highly-decorated former Green Beret, Bryan Mills, uses his specific set of skills to violently rescue her.
From the moment Neeson’s iconic “I will find you… and I will kill you” phone monologue dropped,Takencemented itself as a pop culture staple, even if it isn’t the most technically praised film by professional reviewers.Takenremains the perfect opening act to any tense kidnapping movie, even if it’s tonally distinct from something likeHighest 2 Lowest.
5Run Lola Run
It isn’t just the kidnapping elements that giveHighest 2 Lowesta unique texture. The film will allegedly see Washington’s character hurdle his way across New York City in a haphazard race against the clock. In this respect,no movie seems like a better companion piece thanRun Lola Run.
The German prestige cinema darling centers on a young woman named Lola whose boyfriend owes money to some bad people. Lola sprints across her city desperately searching for a solution with precious little time, splitting the action across multiple alternate possibilities.The eye-popping colors, unique visual identity, and driving techno soundtrackcertainly boast Lee levels of style.
4The Silence Of The Lambs
It can be argued whetherThe Silence of the Lambsis one of the greatest movies ever made, let alone one of the greatest horror movies ever made. But what’s easy to forget is thatit is as much of a tense thriller centering on a kidnapping casethat has alarmingly little time to be solved, making it a great warm-up forHighest 2 Lowest.
Jodie Foster plays a rising star F.B.I. agent who is tasked with rescuing a senator’s daughter from the clutches of a crazed serial killer, picking the brain of another incarcerated killer,Anthony Hopkins' iconic Hannibal Lecter, for help.The Silence of the Lambs' strength as a missing persons thriller could be emphasizedby a pairing withHighest 2 Lowest.
3Missing
The format of found-footage films taking place entirely on recorded screens can seem like a tacky novelty in the wake of releases likePrime Video’sWar of the Worlds. However,Missingproves that the style can work, enhancing the tension by filtering what the audience sees through a series of messages, video calls, and security camera footage.
A spiritual successor to 2020’sSearching,Missingcenters on a young woman’s search for her mother after she goes missing with her new partner on a trip to Colombia. Theslowly unraveling web of intrigue and surprisingly strong performancesare sure to set up similar elements inHighest 2 Lowest’s own tale of a sprawling kidnapping plot.
2Ransom!
High and Lowitself is an older film, but it certainly had its fair share of role models to emulate, even as far back as 1963. Enter 1956’sRansom!, a crime drama film that any subsequent kidnapping movie unmistakably owes fealty to.The narrative centers on a wealthy couple whose son is kidnapped, with an exorbitant ransom demanded in exchange for his safe return.
As one of the first movies to truly strike gold with the idea,Ransom!didn’t need to do much to distinguish itself beyond the titular concept.The drama explores just how easily such a tense situation can tear a family apart,a specific kind of tension thatHighest 2 Lowestis sure to toy with, as well.
1Prisoners
One of the crowning jewels of Denis Villeneuve’s esteemed filmography,Prisonersserves as the modern-day template for a fantastic kidnapping movie. When two young girls are kidnapped in suburban Pennsylvania, one of their fathers (Hugh Jackman) goes on his own revenge-fueled rampage in search of answers, monitored by Jake Gyllenhaal’s Detective Loki.
This leading duo presents one of the strongest dichotomies in Villeneuve’s already powerful body of work, evoking fiery performances that tear through the grim circumstances surrounding them. The tone might differ fromHighest 2 Lowesta great deal, butPrisonersis the perfect moral warm-up for any heady kidnapping story sure to end in shock.
