Honestly, if you grew up in the early 2000s, you probably remember the hazy, slapstick chaos of Silas and Jamal. We're talking about Method Man and Redman in How High, a movie that critics absolutely hated but fans turned into a permanent cult classic. It’s been decades since those two "pot-smoking fiends" (as the reviews called them) first graced the screen, yet the film's DNA is still all over modern comedy.
The premise was basically a fever dream. Silas (Method Man) and Jamal (Redman) score perfectly on their SATs because they smoked weed fertilized with the ashes of their dead, super-smart friend, Ivory. This "super weed" allows Ivory’s ghost to appear and give them all the answers. They end up at Harvard, of all places, and the rest is history.
But why does this movie stick? Why do we still care about a "sloppily constructed stoner movie" (shoutout to Rotten Tomatoes for that one) in 2026?
The Chemistry You Can't Script
You can’t talk about this film without talking about the duo. Method Man and Redman weren't just two rappers thrown together by a studio. They were already a legendary unit. They had Blackout! under their belts. They had the "How High" single from back in '95.
When they got on set, that energy was real. Method Man actually admitted in a 2022 interview with the Kitchen Talk Podcast that they were smoking real weed during the initial filming for "authenticity." Eventually, the producers probably realized they needed to actually finish the movie, so things got more professional. But that loose, unpredictable vibe? That was genuine.
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Not Actually Harvard
Here’s a fun fact most people miss: they didn't even film at Harvard. Most of those "Ivy League" scenes were actually shot at UCLA. If you look closely at the architecture, it’s a bit of a giveaway. But for a movie about ghosts and magic weed, geographical accuracy wasn't exactly the priority.
The Critics vs. The Culture
When How High dropped on December 21, 2001, it was basically DOA for critics. It has a 29 on Metacritic. People like Mike Clark at USA Today said it didn't have enough material to sustain its 91-minute runtime.
But the box office told a different story.
It opened at number five, pulling in about $7.1 million in its first weekend. It was competing with massive heavyweights like The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and Ocean's Eleven. It eventually made around **$31.3 million** on a budget that was likely between $12 and $20 million. That’s a win in any book, especially for an R-rated urban comedy that many mainstream outlets ignored.
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Why It Worked
It wasn't just the weed jokes. The film actually touched on some real stuff:
- The "Diversity" Quota: Fred Willard’s character, Chancellor Huntley, basically admits they want Silas and Jamal at Harvard just to get "some color" and stop people from complaining.
- Class Tension: The rivalry with the crew team and Dean Cain (played by Obba Babatundé) was a classic "outsiders vs. the establishment" trope that resonated with anyone who felt like they didn't belong in those hallowed halls.
- The Soundtrack: This was peak Def Jam. We had "Part II," "Da Rockwilder," and even appearances from DMX and Ludacris. It wasn't just a movie; it was a cultural event.
The Drama Behind How High 2
For years, fans begged for a sequel. Redman was vocal about it for over a decade. He’d say the script was being written, then he’d blame Universal for not "opening the money door."
Then, 2019 happened.
MTV released How High 2 starring Lil Yachty and DC Young Fly. The problem? Method Man and Redman weren't in it. Not even a cameo. Redman later went on the Grass Routes Podcast and kept it 100: he said they were "disrespected" because the sequel was greenlit without them even knowing. They were reportedly waiting on a script for their own version when they found out through the grapevine that a TV-movie version was happening with a PG-13 rating.
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That was a huge blow to the legacy. A PG-13 How High is like a dry swimming pool—what’s the point?
What to Do With This Legacy Today
If you’re a fan or just a student of hip-hop history, here’s how to actually appreciate what Meth and Red did:
- Watch the Original with Commentary: If you can find the DVD (or a digital version with extras), the behind-the-scenes stories about the "bicycle scene" and the exhumation of John Quincy Adams are gold.
- Listen to the Soundtrack Front-to-Back: It’s a time capsule of 2001 hip-hop. Songs like "Cisco Kid" with Cypress Hill are mandatory listening.
- Check Out Their Solo Acting: Method Man has become a serious actor (shoutout to The Wire and Power Book II: Ghost). Seeing where he started in How High shows his incredible range.
The reality is that Method Man and Redman in How High wasn't just about getting high and failing classes. It was about two of the most charismatic dudes in music history proving they could carry a movie through sheer force of personality. They turned a low-brow premise into a permanent fixture of the genre.
If you're looking for the next move, go back and revisit Blackout! the album. It captures the same lightning-in-a-bottle energy that made the movie work in the first place.