(Since this is a rewatch and this has been out for a while now, there will be SPOILERS. Please read at your own discretion.)

“This is how I win.”

One of the many quotable lines in 2019’s Uncut Gems. A quote that best explains the quality of the film and why Adam Sandler deserved more recognition for this role. I first saw the film in the closest theater to me at the time in 2020 at a theater located in a mall where the seats weren’t the best right before the pandemic. I personally loved it by the end. My only small issue at the time was the inconsistency in beats.

After some time, I still couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I rewatched it and gave it a perfect score. The inconsistency in the beat is intentional and really makes the film have its own signature style. I think I saw it again between now and then. When I saw advanced tickets out for an IMAX showing, I got a ticket right away. No matter what I wasn’t going to miss it. For a film that I have already seen before in the theaters, especially not that long ago, that’s impressive for me to be this excited to catch it in theaters again, but in IMAX. After seeing the film in IMAX, I can confidently say that this is the right way to experience the film in theaters, and I hope A24 continues to put more of their movies in premium screenings going forward.

If you don’t already know, or maybe you do and you just want a refresher, Uncut Gems follows Howard Ratner, played by Adam Sandler, a Jewish-American jeweler and gambling addict in New York City, who must retrieve an expensive gems he purchased in order to pay off his debts. People had their doubts with this movie, solely due to lead actor Adam Sandler and his ability to pull off a dramatic role. Truth is, this is where Sandler shines and does his best work. I even knew that when I first heard about it over the summer of 2019. I remember telling everyone around me about this movie and no one believed me. Guess who’s laughing now? Eh, not me, I’m not petty. I am just thrilled to see the film, and Sandler, get the praise that its so rightly deserves.

There were bits of the movie that I honestly forgot about, which makes going to see this again even better. When the film opens up on a location in Ethiopia, I forgot how the film opened up, and questioned for a bit there if I was in the right movie. It’s actually a brilliant way to open up the movie! There’s a million types of ways this movie could have opened up, yet they went with this, which may or may not sell viewers on first glance. Upon reflection, there’s a lot to ponder on and see how meaningful it is.

As the film opens up, we see a miner injured with a broken leg. The camera is right up in it and lets you know that this won’t be a gentle viewing. Right afterwards, we see two other miners sneak off to retrieve a rare black opal – the exact same opal that will set off a motion of events for the rest of the film. As the camera zooms in on the diamond, it eventually fades into a cloud-like structure representing a universe. As the imagery starts to fade into something else, the camera begins to zoom out on a monitor where doctor’s are performing a colonoscopy our main character Howard is having.

It’s a bizarre and creative way to introduce us to this character. As we begin to see what we are really seeing on screen, it continues the disgusting trend that we first saw with that broken leg in Ethiopia. There is a lot of ways to interpret this and I really want to explain this, because it sets the tone for the film. The way I interpret it is that we are really saying the disgusting insides of Howard. Since we just saw this beautiful imagery before, it also lets us know that there is something worthy in Howard. Maybe that’s not it? Who actually knows. It brings up important themes that lay the foundation for the film. I promise you if you are turned away from seeing that, keep going and you’ll experience something that will keep you disgusted and engaged at the same time.

As the film goes on, we thrust right into this world. Immediately, we see all of the shady things Howard is done, but we are also seeing another side of him that has the best of intentions. He’s making all of these overly confident decisions that he shouldn’t be making and it’s making everyone around him despise him, which leads him to connect with those he shouldn’t connect with. It’s hard to almost not connect with this shady character. It’s easy to sympathize with him, because of how much he believes in himself. His wife hates him and plans on leaving him after Passover. His own brother-in-law is the same person he owes money to. He has a girlfriend on the side that is downright toxic. Things are not going good for him, yet it is easy to connect with him.

The way we care for these characters is credited to its duo directing brothers team – Josh and Benny Safdie – in what would be their last collaboration before dissolving their partnership in 2024. What they do here is remarkable in the film. It works best to have two different people directing this as so much is going on at the same time. People are consistently talking over each other, characters do things they shouldn’t be doing, and the imagery in the way everything is captured gives the film one of the most anxiety-induced feelings in film, especially in recent time. That says a lot for someone like me who does have anxiety. This is one of the rare moments where I can accept it, because of how grounded in reality the film is.

What really sets the film in motion is when Boston Celtics professional basketball player Kevin Garnett shows up and demands to have the rock for himself. He makes a deal with Howard where Howard can have his ring as he gets to keep the opal for one night to help him out with his game. This leads Howards to pawning the ring off, which then sets off a series of events where Howard continues to get himself more and more trouble. So much occurs and connects that it becomes impressive how they make the film work. Just as one moment seems to have a nice wrap-up, something else comes up that sets Howard back.

As well as Garnett, is The Weeknd, also playing himself. While he doesn’t have much to do with the plot, his importance in his scene doesn’t go unnoticed. Between these two celebrities, Howard has some big opportunities where he can connect with these guys and make it big, yet he continues down this path that makes him believe that gambling is the only answer. Even when he believes his girlfriend is messing around with the rapper, he lashes out instead of just going home to his family and managing a business where celebrities come in from time to time.

By the film’s end, he sees an opportunity to finally make it big. All within the same day, he messes up at an auction, gets his face beat in, makes a bet with Garnett, and sends his girlfriend to a casino to place the bet. There is a lot of foreshadowing before the film’s conclusion. You desperately want to see this guy win, yet you also understand why he has to meet his fate. Even though he strikes the money load, his obsession would never stop. He would just keep going. With the fate that meets him, everyone else is able to go on to live their lives without him.

What I find profound in the film’s final minutes is how his brother-in-law views him. He no longer sees him as this screwup. Right then and there, you see where his in-laws and family viewed him as a nobody chasing a dream that would never happen. When he finally sees what Howard is capable of, he is more happy to see that he has potential versus getting his own money. Howard proved the most doubtful wrong, which had more value than the money he had won. By the end, the film’s most powerful message is that while people may be able to prove others wrong, their patterns will remain the same. On a side note, I didn’t realize so many people in my theater had not seen the film. Nearly the whole theater gasped when Howard met his fate.

Two final things I want to bring up with this rewatch in theaters. If these brothers, together or separate, will be known for, it’s how they can bring out the best of talent from people you wouldn’t expect. Kevin Garnett is phenomenal. Julia Fox gives an earnest performance. LaKeith Stanfield is terrific too, and it’s even nice to see Judd Hirsch with what he is given (he typically steals the spotlight). I also want to bring up the sound. The sound, mixed with the music, has this distinct tone to it. While everyone is talking over each other, the sound gives more of this anxiety feeling, because you can’t catch what everyone is saying (I also feel bad for anyone who has to transcribe this).

Overall, Uncut Gems not only continues to get better with every watch, but also solidifies why it deserves the most premium experience in the theater. With its high-intensity, anxiety-inducing filmmaking, everything is done to perfection. It’s the equivalent of a non-stop action film that knows how to make you feel uncomfortable and satisfied at the same time.

VERDICT: Perfect