Adam Sandler’s tense crime thriller Uncut Gems is now available to watch on Netflix after being added to the streaming service today – just in time for you to kick your shoes off after a long week at work to watch the actor effin’ and jeffin’ his way around New York.
Directed by Benny and Josh Safdie, the film premiered at the end of August at the Telluride Film Festival before being released in the US at the end of December, and in UK cinemas on 10 January.
It sees a welcome change of direction for the comedy actor, who steps into the shoes of charismatic yet reckless jeweller Howard Ratner.
The synopsis listed on Rotten Tomatoes reads: “From acclaimed filmmakers Josh and Benny Safdie comes an electrifying crime thriller about Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), a charismatic New York City jeweller always on the lookout for the next big score.
“When he 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 film isn’t one of the easier watches out there, and this is something that works to its credit.
As Howard’s desperation grows, so does our own agitation and frustration – watching on as the frantic dealer makes one bad decision after another, while the blinding fluorescent lights of his jewellery store and near-constant swearing and shouting merely build on that tension.
Then there’s the incredible, synth-heavy score, which is unnerving as it is beautiful.
In a behind-the-scenes video, composer Daniel Lopatin explained how he mashed synth sounds and elements of 70s prog-rock to create a unique environment for Howard’s drama to play out in.
He said: “We were inventing this musical language for the film – I still, to this day, can’t tell you what the score sounds like because it’s like all of these rich, epic, beautiful things that make sense from moment to moment.
“And we ended up making something that I think is really original.”
Lopatin continued: “Howard Ratner is up against the clock, and there’s not a lot of time to figure out a whole lot of problems, and that essentially was mirrored in the studio.
“That kind of thing, it’s weird, but it does make its way into the music.”
Uncut Gems is now available to watch on Netflix
