Uncut Gems
2019 · Directed by Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie
Original language: English
- drama
- thriller
- crime
The story
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.
What it’s like
Frantic, claustrophobic textures: tight handheld close-ups, jittery zooms and overlapping dialogue in cramped rooms, shot largely on grainy 16mm-style film with saturated, sweaty fluorescents, Diamond District storefront glare and sodium-orange Manhattan night streets. The sound is a constant clatter of phones, crowd roar from arenas, and a pulsing electronic score that spikes and drops like a heartbeat, with long stretches of unbearable quiet before each bet lands. The vibe is anxious, sweaty and darkly funny, a restless thriller that feels like sitting too close to a gambler's bad decision. Pacing is relentless, almost panicky, and the emotional register swings between manic comedy and real dread, following a fast-talking, self-sabotaging dealer whose charm keeps pulling the people around him deeper into trouble. Violence is sudden and ugly, with brief but brutal beatings, a few sharp bursts of gunfire, and an abrasive, profane, sexually frank tone throughout, with dread far more present than gore. It suits a late-night, wide-awake viewing rather than relaxation. It is for people who want tension, crackling dialogue and urban grit, and who can tolerate an anxious, unrelenting ride.
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