Dir: Josh & Benny Safdie 

Cast: Adam Sandler, Idina Menzel, Julia Fox, Lakeith Stanfield, Kevin Garnett, Eric Bogosian

Run time: 2 Hours 12 Mins 

Cert: 15

Release Date: Out Now/Netflix: 31st January  

While Uncut Gems is by no means an action film, there’s an energy to the film that will cause nerves to be shot. A relentless and entertaining ride about charismatic but toxically overzealous jeweller Howard Ratner, a gambling addict whose habits get the better of him during the dire situation of owing money to loan sharks while trying to retrieve a rare black opal gem guaranteed to pay off his debts. Adam Sandler, known mostly for his dreadful comedies, gives the performance of a lifetime as Ratner. Charming but slimy in equal measure, he’s the sort of character that would be the villain or a supporting player in another protagonist’s story. Under the intense direction of The Safdies, the rest of the eclectic supporting cast are all wonderfully memorable, with NBA player Kevin Garnett as himself and newcomer Julia Fox impressing in their debut performances. Frozen’s Idina Menzel also delivers a great performance as Howard’s “done with his nonsense” wife.

The Safdies prove once more they are a directing duo who have a knack for sending any audience into a state of complete anxiety; a majority of scenes involve some truly nail-biting moments helped by the tight cinematography of Darius Khondji. There is never a dull moment in Uncut Gems, it’s a film fuelled on adrenaline and the increasingly terrible decisions made by Howard that the only time you may be able to breathe is when the credits roll after the vice grip direction of The Safdies ceases. Uncut Gems is such an incredible film that after my first screening I marched back into the cinema and watched it again. An assault on the senses but like Howard there is something enduring about Uncut Gems that no matter what it throughs at you, there is plenty more great things to come back for.  

Verdict

A nail-biting thriller with a career best from Adam Sandler. Uncut Gems is a rip-roaring piece of filmmaking that’ll leave your jaw on the floor.