Denzel Washington: From Mo' Better Blues to Highest 2 Lowest, here are all the films Spike Lee has made with Denzel Washington

Spike Lee and Denzel Washington have again joined hands, this time for Highest 2 Lowest, a neo-noir crime thriller film that is also an English-language reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa's 1963 movie High and Low. Interestingly, that was itself a film adaptation of the 1959 novel King's Ransom, written by Evan Hunter, also known by his pen name Ed McBain.

Washington and Lee have been working together for over three decades now, and their bond has only grown stronger, with the latter having nothing but praise for the former. Last year, during the Red Sea Film Festival, Lee said,

"Someone pointed out to me that the last time we worked together was 18 years ago. I was surprised because it didn’t feel that way. I’m very blessed to have done five films together, he is arguably the best actor on the planet."

He expanded upon this bond and said,

"We’re brothers. We just do our thing. We’re familiar with one another… our families are very tight."

Highest 2 Lowest is the fifth collaboration between them as an actor-director pair, and we will see all of the films they have done together in the list.

All Spike Lee and Denzel Washington collaborations so far

Mo’ Better Blues (1990)

Spike Lee also acted in the film. (Image via Universal Pictures)

The pair's first collaboration came in 1990 with Mo' Better Blues, where Spike Lee didn't just write, direct, and produce it; he acted in it as well. He played Giant, a childhood friend of Bleek (Washington). It is about how the fictional character Bleek goes through some bad decisions and how they affect his life — a great example of how cause and effect play out in life.

Malcolm X (1992)

Denzel Washington was nominated for an Oscar for Malcolm X. (Image via HBO Max)

A couple of years after Mo' Better Blues came the independent epic biographical drama film Malcolm X, where Spike Lee again acted in the film. Interestingly, he was again the main character's childhood friend. Following its release, the film was nominated for a couple of Oscars, including Best Actor for Denzel Washington. However, the actor had to wait for nine years before he finally landed this award.

He Got Game (1998)

He Got game was a box office flop. (Image via 40 Acres)

This was the pair's third film and the first one where Spike Lee wasn't involved as an actor. The sports drama film revolves around Washington's Jake Shuttlesworth, father of a top high school basketball player, Jesus Shuttlesworth (Ray Allen).

Inside Man (2006)

Denzel Washington was offered the role of ringleader in the film. (Image via Universal Pictures)

Inside Man is currently the highest-grossing film in their collaborations, garnering $184 million on a $45–60 million budget. The film sees Denzel Washington in the role of Detective Keith Frazier, who negotiates with the ringleader of a bank heist — a role played by Clive Owen but also offered to Washington.

Highest 2 Lowest (2025)

Denzel Washington is David King in Highest 2 Lowest. (Image via A24)

Highest 2 Lowest marks the latest collaboration between Spike Lee and Denzel Washington and is currently the highest-rated film among the five. As of this writing, the film boasts a Rotten Tomatoes score of 93%, based on 96 ratings. Highest 2 Lowest was released today but had its premiere on May 19, 2025, at the Cannes Film Festival.

Also read: Where was Highest 2 Lowest shot? Revisiting key filming locations of Spike Lee film