--- title: "High and Low: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/high-and-low/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/high-and-low" critics_score: 80 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # High and Low (1963): what the critics said Critics' score 80 from 10 reviews: 9 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. ## Empire — David Parkinson Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 April 2006. The critic praises Kurosawa's adaptation of the Ed McBain novel for its clever use of contrasting locations and visual styles to explore class and moral themes, calling it among the director's most cinematic and satisfying works. Superb performances by Toshiro Mifune and Tsutomu Yamazaki, along with virtuoso cinematography, are highlighted as standout elements. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/high-low-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Glenn Heath Jr. Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 26 July 2011. The review lauds the film as a masterful crime drama that bridges class divides through its rigorous procedural and social commentary. It singles out Kurosawa’s widescreen framing and shifting perspectives for creating a complex exploration of wealth, poverty, and redemption. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/high-and-low/) ## The New Yorker — Brendan Gill Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 December 1963. The film is called a true thriller that takes itself seriously and is well worth taking seriously. Kurosawa is commended for his confident, leisurely pacing, beautiful rendering of police detection, and ability to sustain interest over nearly two and a half hours without a dispensable scene. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1963/12/14/old-hands-2) ## The New York Times — Bosley Crowther Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 27 November 1963. The critic hails it as one of the best detective thrillers ever filmed and a model of the genre. Kurosawa is praised for transforming the source novel into a suspenseful, artistic work with strong characterizations, moral depth, and masterful police procedural sequences. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1963/11/27/archives/high-and-low-a-movie-of-suspense-arrives-from-japan.html) ## The Times — Nigel Kendall Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 26 March 2005. The review highlights High and Low as a masterclass in technique, transforming an American kidnap thriller source into a meditation on unbridled capitalism in Japanese society. It praises the verité-style pursuit sequences and overall execution, agreeing with the New York Times that it is one of the best detective thrillers filmed. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/i-live-in-fear-pg-high-and-low-12-9swcg86smgn) ## Time Out — TM Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. Kurosawa adapts an Ed McBain novel into a hybrid thriller and morality play. The first half explores a tycoon's moral dilemma in a single room while the second half shifts to an exciting police procedural hunt, with connections that reach Dostoevskian depths. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/high-and-low-1) ## The AV Club — Keith Phipps Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 29 March 2002. The critic finds the first half compelling for its moral dilemma and Mifune's performance, while the second half's police procedural is well done but lacks tension until a strong finale. Overall, it is a fine example of Kurosawa's craft though not among his masterpieces. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/high-and-low-1798195579) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 23 July 2008. The review praises the improved hi-def transfer of Kurosawa’s 1963 film and its strong use of widescreen visuals in a kidnapping procedural. It highlights how the story critiques Japanese society by contrasting upper and lower classes through the businessman’s moral dilemma. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2008/digital/features/high-and-low-1200508150/) ## Collider — Ron Evangelista Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 22 August 2023. The critic calls High and Low one of the best crime movies ever and possibly Kurosawa's finest work, praising its gripping police procedural and deep exploration of moral and ethical dilemmas in a kidnapping gone wrong. They single out the film's intense phone conversations and suspenseful evidence-gathering sequences for particular praise. [Read the review](https://collider.com/high-and-low-akira-kurosawa-detective-movie/) ## Eye for Film — Kotleta Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2005. The critic finds the film a bit dull despite its subtext of Japanese class issues and social commentary. It lacks tension after the central dilemma is revealed early, resulting in an uneven experience overall. [Read the review](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/high-and-low-film-review-by-kotleta) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/high-and-low.md