Uncut Gems: reviews

What the critics say average 7.9 from 4 outlets

• 8.0 The PlaylistRodrigo Perez Whether inside the mines of Ethiopia, inside Howard?s rectum during a colonoscopy, or inside the mystic gems of a black opal diamond, ?Uncut Gems? is never afraid to push the viewer down deeper, darker into the abyss its character is falling into?or chasing after for the greatest orgasm ever, it?s hard to tell which. Read
• 8.0 The Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthy Uncut Gems would need to be on any final list of films in which the greatest percentage of dialogue is yelled. And yet the Safdies and the cast go deep enough here to make the film a genuinely human one; it may not be a lifestyle that most people will recognize, but the dynamics and desires and anxieties all feel real, thanks to the way the writer-directors push through the obvious dramatic trappings to tap into credible feelings. Read
• 8.0 IndiewireEric Kohn ?Uncut Gems? won?t sit well with anyone who prefers protagonists easy to like or stories with a clean moral compass. But there?s a genuine subversive glee involved in following Howard through his inane quest for all the money he can score, and watching him set himself up for failure with such conviction the whole way through. Howard may be doomed from the start, but in the process of resisting his inevitable fate, ?Uncut Gems? makes his ludicrous plan infectious. Read
• 7.5 VarietyPeter Debruge More experienced filmmakers know how to modulate the tone over the course of the film, orchestrating both highs and lows, with quiet, reflective moments built in for people to catch their breath. By contrast, the Safdies are committed to sustaining the intensity for the entire running time, which can be both exhilarating and exhausting. In their view, there is variation in Howie?s mood: There are moments when the man feels genuinely happy, and Sandler?s supernova presence radiates extra hot to reflect them. Read