Uncut Gems (2019)
74%RT Audience Score: 52%
Awards & Nominations: 27 wins & 94 nominations
Uncut Gems reaffirms the Safdies as masters of anxiety-inducing cinema — and proves Adam Sandler remains a formidable dramatic actor when given the right material
Uncut Gems is like a rollercoaster ride that you can’t get off of, but you don’t want to either. Adam Sandler’s performance is a revelation and the supporting cast is just as impressive. The Safdie Bros. have created a world that’s both chaotic and thrilling, and you can’t help but get caught up in it. It’s a movie that will leave you breathless and wanting more. Just make sure you have a Xanax handy for the inevitable anxiety attack.
Production Company(ies)
Break Thru Films,
Distributor
A24
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Okiep, Northern Cape, South Africa
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for pervasive strong language, violence, some sexual content and brief drug use.
Year of Release
2019
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Atmos Dolby Surround 7.1 Dolby Digital Auro 11.1
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:2h 15m
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Language(s):English, Hebrew
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 2019 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 13, 2019
Genre(s)
Comedy/Mystery & thriller
Keyword(s)
starring Adam Sandler, LaKeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Kevin Garnett, Idina Menzel, Eric Bogosian, directed by Ben Safdie, Joshua Safdie, written by Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie, produced by Sebastian Bear-McClard, Oscar Boyson, comedy, mystery, thriller, R rating, box office gross $50.0M, budget unknown, reviewed by Wenlei Ma, Brad Newsome, Charlotte O’Sullivan, Mark Kermode, Wendy Ide, Kevin Maher, Brian Eggert, Toussaint Egan, Dustin Chang, Alex Flood, Luiz Oliveira, anxiety-inducing, high-stakes, gambling, jewelry, New York, family, adversaries, addiction, drugs, sex, violence, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Scope (2.35:1)
Worldwide gross: $50,023,780
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $57,800,204
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,272
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 6,303,185
US/Canada gross: $50,023,780
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $57,800,204
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,016
US/Canada opening weekend: $537,242
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $620,759
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,354
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $19,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $21,953,636
Production budget ranking: 1,327
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $11,822,033
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $24,024,534
ROI to date (est.): 71%
ROI ranking: 1,059
LaKeith Stanfield – Demany
Julia Fox – Julia
Kevin Garnett – Kevin Garnett
Idina Menzel – Dinah
Eric Bogosian – Arno
Director(s)
Ben Safdie, Joshua Safdie
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Sebastian Bear-McClard, Oscar Boyson
Film Festivals
Telluride, Toronto
Awards & Nominations
27 wins & 94 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (343) | Top Critics (69) | Fresh (314) | Rotten (29)
The thing that elevates it above all else is the frenetic energy that infuses every scene, yet calibrated so perfectly so that it stays, barely, on the right side of frustrating. There’s nothing more thrilling than that.
February 28, 2020 | Rating: 4.5/5
Wenlei Ma
News.com.au
TOP CRITIC
It’s a brilliantly exhausting movie that gaffer-tapes us to motormouth New York gem dealer and degenerate gambler Howard Ratner… The thrill and despair of the addict are palpable.
February 12, 2020
Brad Newsome
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
Having looked at it closely, I’d say it’s being over-valued. But not by much.
January 14, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Charlotte O’Sullivan
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
A terrific, really convincing supporting cast, with not one single character that I didn’t believe…
January 13, 2020
Mark Kermode
Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review
TOP CRITIC
Uncut Gems is the most exhilarating movie experience of the past year.
January 11, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
Wendy Ide
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
When relief finally comes, it’s heartbreaking.
January 10, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Uncut Gems may feel like pure chaos shot into the viewer’s brain, but it only seems that way from the countless number of reversals, switches, setbacks, and impulsive choices that befall its protagonist.
February 22, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
Uncut Gems is an unforgettable film that plays out like a pulse-pounding Greek tragedy set in 2010s New York.
October 22, 2021
Toussaint Egan
Polygon
I gotta admit, now I am in full Safdie Bros. team. It took me this long to see Uncut Gems but I am convinced that the Safdies will save American cinema.
July 25, 2021
Dustin Chang
Floating World
Hollywood’s dorkiest megastar has never been better.
June 9, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
Alex Flood
NME
It’s only been 2 years since The Meyerowitz Stories, so maybe the intervals where Sandler is a little more willing to take risks are growing shorter.
April 14, 2021
Luiz Oliveira
Battleship Pretension
Adam Sandler is sensational in this intense, nail-biting, adrenaline-fuelled thriller.
March 13, 2021 | Rating: 8.7/10
Katherine McLaughlin
VODzilla.co…
Plot
A New York jeweler and gambler named Howard Ratner makes a high-stakes bet that could change his life forever, but he must navigate business, family, and adversaries in pursuit of the ultimate win in Uncut Gems.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
“Adam Sandler remains a formidable dramatic actor when given the right material.” – Fresh Kernels on Uncut Gems.
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