5 Minutes
Denzel Washington Shrugs Off Cancel Culture: "You Can't Be Canceled if You Haven't Signed Up"
Two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington is back in the conversation — not because of another awards campaign, but because of a refreshingly blunt take on cancel culture and public opinion. Speaking with Complex News alongside long-time collaborator Spike Lee, Washington dismissed the idea that losing online favor is anything to lose sleep over. "You can't be canceled if you haven't signed up," he said, pushing back on the notion that social media followers are the ultimate measure of artistic value.
What Washington Really Meant: Faith, Craft and the Limits of Public Opinion
When interviewer Jillian Hardeman-Webb said "followers now are currency," Washington didn't argue about metrics — he reframed the debate. "I don't follow anybody. I follow the heavenly spirit. I follow God, I don't follow man," he explained, adding a pragmatic — and spiritual — reason for indifference to viral outrage. His point echoes a longstanding Hollywood truth: artists often live by their craft and convictions rather than trends on Twitter.
Context: Awards vs. Art
Washington has expressed similar sentiments about accolades this week. On Jake's Takes he said he doesn't act "for Oscars," noting that awards come from people while rewards come from a higher place. It's a reminder that, for many established performers, industry recognition is satisfying but not definitive. Washington's two Oscars — for Glory (1989) and Training Day (2001) — are milestones, but not shackles.
Highest 2 Lowest: A Modern Reimagining of Kurosawa
Washington's remarks come as he and Spike Lee release Highest 2 Lowest, a reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s classic High and Low. Produced by A24 and Apple, the film relocates the moral and social tensions of Kurosawa's story into the contemporary music business, with Washington playing a music mogul caught in a ransom plot. This is the duo’s fifth collaboration after Mo' Better Blues (1990), Malcolm X (1992), He Got Game (1998) and Inside Man (2006), and marks their first feature together in nearly two decades.
Comparisons and Influences
Where Kurosawa used genre to dissect class and conscience, Lee and Washington modernize the stakes: celebrity, media spin and the economics of fame. Fans of Lee's earlier collaborations with Washington will spot thematic through-lines — the moral complexity of power, the city as character, and searing, actor-first performances. For audiences who enjoy smart thrillers about moral ambiguity, Highest 2 Lowest sits comfortably alongside recent A24 offerings that rework classics into contemporary allegories.
Behind the Scenes and Fan Reception
Behind the cameras, Lee’s direction leans into his trademark kinetic framing while allowing Washington room for internal nuance. Early word from screenings highlights Washington's commanding presence and a sleek production design that reframes Kurosawa’s original industrial landscapes as music studios, mansions, and the media's machinery. Trivia: this marks the creative reunion of two artists whose collaborations have shaped modern American cinema for over three decades.
Critical Perspective and Industry Insight
Cancel culture debates often conflate popularity with moral vindication. Washington's dismissal is a useful corrective: for veteran actors, the real currency is reputation built over decades — and the quality of your work. From an industry standpoint, studios and distributors still reckon with social media when marketing films, but they also know that a handful of passionate critics or a star's legacy can sustain a movie beyond an initial online storm.
Expert Take
"Spike Lee and Denzel Washington have always thrived where politics, poetry and performance intersect," says film critic Anna Kovacs. "Highest 2 Lowest reframes Kurosawa's moral inquiry for a media-saturated age, and Washington's remarks about cancel culture reflect a career rooted in craft, not clicks."
Conclusion: Why This Conversation Matters
Denzel Washington's remarks are more than a celebrity shrug — they prompt a useful industry conversation about values, visibility and how art should be measured. As Highest 2 Lowest arrives in theaters, the film invites audiences to judge on its merits rather than the mood of the moment. For movie lovers, it's a reminder to prioritize storytelling, performance and context over the fleeting currency of social approval.
Comments