The Take
High and Low earns a Slop Score of 12. Kurosawa's 1963 film is a kidnapping procedural that weaponizes class resentment and personal duty without a single committee note or stylish cop-out.
The Verdict
Buy the Criterion disc or stream it tonight. High and Low remains essential viewing with a Slop Score of 12.
Common Questions
What is High and Low about?
A shoe executive faces ransom demands after a kidnapper takes the wrong child, forcing a brutal class reckoning.
Is High and Low based on a true story?
No, it's a loose adaptation of Evan Hunter's 1959 novel King's Ransom.
Is High and Low okay for kids?
No, its adult moral dilemmas and kidnapping tension suit mature viewers only.
