Midway through Spike Lee’s “Highest 2 Lowest,” a New York riff on Akira Kurosawa’s “High to Low,” wealthy music executive David King (Washington) has cornered aspiring rapper Yung Felon (Rocky) after he tried to kidnap King's son. They meet in a music studio. A rap battle ensues.

One of A$AP Rocky’s interviews during the Highest 2 Lowest New York premiere was recently crashed by Denzel Washington. As the rapper sang his co-star’s praises, he also made a surprising revelation about his mother.

With just two days to go until its theatrical release, the first reviews for Highest 2 Lowest are in. Here’s what critics had to say.