Uncut Gems (2019)

Uncut Gems (2019)

On-brand anxiety-inducing thrills from the Safdie Brothers

7.9

Movie

South Africa, United States of America
English
Crime, Drama, Thriller
2019
BENNY SAFDIE, JOSH SAFDIE
Abel Tesfaye, Adam Sandler, Alexander Gilkes
136 min

What it's about

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.

The take

A crazy, anxiety-inducing thriller that turns Adam Sandler into a thrill-generating machine, which in its own speaks volumes about the rhythm of this movie. It follows a jeweler who gets himself in trouble with what feels like all of New York - a gang, Kevin Garnett (the NBA player), other jewelers, his family, odd twins that appear out of nowhere - everyone. This all happens in the backdrop of him feeling he has “hit big” and is on the verge of receiving a lot of money.

If you watched Good Time, you know what to expect from directors Safdie brothers: excruciating tension that keeps building up when you thought it wasn’t possible. And that might be the only problem with Uncut Gems; the tension doesn't feel that different from Good Time, and having watched one you can guess where the other one is going.

Comments

What a piece of crap and a waste of 2 hours of your life. Adam Sandler and his annoying New York accent is tacky and annoying.

Uncut Gems is a pretty good indie film that subverts expectations, but “weird’? If I’d checked it out expecting a weird film, I’d be bitterly disappointed.

Add a comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Comrades, Almost a Love Story (1996)

Almost Hong Kong natives become almost lovers in this heart stirring romance drama

8.2

Problemista (2024)

Dark, weird, poignant, and funny, this debut feature by Los Espookys star Julio Torres is a modern parable of the American Dream

8.6

White God (2014)

An unpleasant, bizarre, yet brilliant drama about the dark side of man and his best friend

7.3

The Glass Castle (2017)

A disjointed, but still touching, adaptation of the audacious family memoir

6.7

Spermworld (2024)

People take family planning into their own hands in this fascinating look into sperm donation online

7.3

The Beautiful Game (2024)

A heartwarming lesson in belonging and humility following the sports movie formula

7.0

How to Have Sex (2023)

A drunken summer vacation turns melancholy in this sober observation of teenage rites of passage

7.7

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.

8.1

The Guilty (2018)

A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.

9.0

Forgotten Love (2023)

The stunning third take of the classic Polish pre-war melodrama

7.7

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.