Spike Lee says Denzel Washington deserved an Oscar for ‘Malcom X’

Cannes 2025 was alive with a mix of nostalgia and sharp insights as filmmaker Spike Lee arrived for the premiere of his latest film, Highest 2 Lowest. At the festival, he reignited one of Hollywood’s most talked-about debates: the Oscar snub of Denzel Washington for his role in Malcolm X.

During a press conference following the screening of his new film, Spike Lee couldn’t help but praise Denzel’s incredible performance in the 1992 biopic, Malcolm X, calling it truly deserving of an Academy Award.

“What Denzel did in Malcolm X was nothing short of amazing. And I have all the respect in the world for my brother Al Pacino, but in my eyes, Denzel should have taken home that Oscar,” Lee stated, referring to Pacino’s win for Scent of a Woman that year.

Although Denzel eventually snagged the Best Actor award for Training Day in 2001, Spike likened award shows to those frustrating missed calls in basketball. “It’s like when a referee misses a call in a game. You have to make a decision. The call that was made was for Training Day, which he won an Oscar for. But at the end of the day, we don’t create for the awards. They’re nice, sure, but it’s the work that truly matters,” he added.

In Highest 2 Lowest, a modern take on Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low, Denzel plays a powerful music executive. The film, which screened out of competition at Cannes, marks the fifth collaboration between Spike and Denzel, following their work on Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, He Got Game, and Inside Man. Denzel Washington’s performance is already generating a lot of excitement in Cannes circles.