by Daniel O'Connell Josh and Benny Safdie, known collectively as the Safdie Brothers, are a pair of New York City-based independent filmmakers who have risen to prominence in the past few years. Their NYC settings and use of urban grit are reminiscent of a director like Abel Ferarra. They first gained attention in 2014 with Heaven Knows What, a drama focusing on heroin addicts in NYC, based on the unpublished memoirs of Arielle Holmes (who stars in the movie as a slightly fictionalized version of herself). Soon after, they gained further recognition with Good Time, a movie about a bank robber who desperately tries to get bail money for his mentally disabled brother. The film received critical acclaim, notably for its direction and Robert Pattinson’s lead performance. Now, the Safdies once again bring their A-game with their latest movie, the crime thriller, Uncut Gems. The film follows Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), a charismatic jeweler who works in the New York Diamond District and is struggling to pay back his gambling debts. However, his luck begins to change when he comes across a rare uncut black opal priced at over a million dollars. With loan sharks after him and his life crumbling all around him, Howard has to go through a series of high stakes acts, such as appealing to his buyers and to loan sharks, in order to get the gem and come out on top.
Excellent cast lead by a career-best performance
Anxiety-inducing cinematography and direction
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