In this sit-down with TheGrio’s Natasha S. Alford, Denzel Washington and Jeffrey Wright keep it real about their new film Highest to Lowest — a modern-day Spike Lee reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low. The story follows Washington as David King, a wealthy New York music CEO, and Wright as Paul Christopher, his working-class chauffeur and childhood friend.
When their sons are caught in the middle of a life-or-death ransom plot, the film pushes both men to confront not only questions of loyalty and power, but also the class and cultural divides that have shaped their lives in very different ways. From “all money ain’t good money” to how success can shift friendships in the Black community, the Hollywood heavyweights break down why telling an authentic story matters, and how the film speaks to bigger questions about truth, unity, and what we truly value as a people.
“What if the quote says that all money ain’t good money, you know, what level are you willing to sink? For profit, for influence, for power,” Washington told TheGrio.
The film also speaks to the influence of social media and the pressure of public narratives on the moral choices we make. As Washington put it: “Look at your industry, you know, or your journalism, does it have to be true or does it have to first?”
Wright built on that point, saying the questions raised go beyond the film and straight to America’s core: “Speaks to our values. Values. What do we value anymore? I think, you know, as Denzel said, yes, you know, that’s true, I think it’s expressed through, you know culturally, but it’s, you know, it’s America right now. What are our values? You know, our values, the things that we understood to be nurturing of, you know, our best selves or are we just transactional?”
Watch the full exchange in the video player below.
