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Uncut Gems
2019 136 min United States of America R 16+
★7.9
Drama, Thriller, Crime
Director: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie
Trailers
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Description
A charismatic New York City jeweler always on the lookout for the next big score makes a series of high-stakes bets that could lead to the windfall of a lifetime. Howard must perform a precarious high-wire act, balancing business, family, and encroaching adversaries on all sides in his relentless pursuit of the ultimate win.
Budget:
$19M
US Gross:
$50.02M
Worldwide:
$50.02M
Starring
Adam Sandler
Actor
Julia Fox
Actor
Idina Menzel
Actor
Awards
Saturn Awards 2021
— Best Thriller
Razzie Awards 2020
— Redemption Award
Key opinion
Uncut Gems is a visceral, high-anxiety crime thriller that uses chaotic pacing and an immersive score to trap the viewer in the downward spiral of a gambling addict. While Adam Sandler’s performance as the abrasive Howard Ratner is widely considered a career-best, the film's relentless intensity, overlapping dialogue, and unlikable protagonist create a deeply polarizing experience.
| Acting | Adam Sandler delivers a standout, complex performance that anchors the film with a mix of recklessness and charisma. | |
| Score | The score by Daniel Lopatin and the gritty cinematography create an immersive, high-pressure environment that mirrors the protagonist's internal instability. | |
| Pacing | The film utilizes relentless tension and a frantic, overlapping dialogue style that successfully traps the viewer in the character's stressful life. | |
| Direction | The relentless, chaotic atmosphere and profanity-heavy dialogue are viewed by some as masterful filmmaking, while others find them grating and exhausting. | |
| Screenplay | Opinions on the narrative arc are divided: some find the repetitive cycle of the protagonist's poor decisions to be a compelling study of addiction, whereas others feel it results in a lack of character depth and investment. | |
| Ending | The abrupt, shocking conclusion is praised for its boldness, but criticized by some for being predictable or failing to provide a satisfying moral resolution. |