Annual Top Films Lists

Top 100 Most Anticipated American Independent Films of 2019: #20. Josh & Benny Safdie’s Uncut Gems

Published on February 8, 2019

Uncut Gems

For their fourth feature film, Josh & Benny Safdie parlayed the success of Good Time into a feature with Adam Sandler in the lead but with a powerhouse of producers aiding and abetting. Uncut Gems was announced before they climbed onto their third feature film, and it sees them reteam with writer Ronald Bronstein. Principal photography began in September 2018 in New York City with the likes of Pom Klementief, Idina Menzel, Lakeith Stanfield, Robbie DeRaffele, Judd Hirsch, Eric Bogosian, The Weeknd. James Gray cinematographer Darius Khondji lenses this one.

Gist: Adam Sandler plays the central character in a story set in New York City’s Diamond District.

Release Date/Prediction: With Netflix acquiring the international distribution rights to the film might complicate another showing at Cannes. Bet your bottom dollar that the Safdies and A24 are gunning for the Palme d’Or race once again.

Eric Lavallée

Eric Lavallée is the founder, CEO, editor-in-chief, film journalist and critic at IONCINEMA.com (founded in 2000). Eric is a regular at Sundance, Cannes and TIFF. He has a BFA in Film Studies at the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. In 2013 he served as a Narrative Competition Jury Member at the SXSW Film Festival. He was an associate producer on Mark Jackson's This Teacher (2018 LA Film Festival, 2018 BFI London). In 2022 he served as a New Flesh Comp for Best First Feature at the 2022 Fantasia Intl. Film Festival. Current top films for 2022 include Tár (Todd Field), All That Breathes (Shaunak Sen), Aftersun (Charlotte Wells).