Uncut Gems

Uncut Gems

Uncut Gems is a 2019 American crime thriller film[5] directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ronald Bronstein. The film stars Adam Sandler as Howard Ratner, a Jewish jeweler and gambling addict in New York City's Diamond District, who must retrieve an expensive gem he purchased to pay off his debts. The film also stars Kevin Garnett, Idina Menzel, Lakeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, and Eric Bogosian. Filming took place from September to November 2018. The original score was composed by Daniel Lopatin.

Uncut Gems had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2019. It entered into a limited release in the United States on December 13, 2019, before a wide release on December 25, by A24. The film received critical acclaim, especially for Sandler's performance. It was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 2019, with Sandler also winning the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead. It became A24's highest-grossing film domestically with $50 million.

In 2010, Ethiopian Jewish miners retrieve a rare black opal from the Welo mine in Africa. In 2012, gambling addict Howard Ratner runs KMH, a jewelry store in New York's Diamond District. Howard struggles to pay off gambling debts, including $100,000 he owes to Arno, his loan shark brother-in-law. His domestic life is split between Dinah, his estranged wife who has agreed to a divorce after Passover, and his girlfriend Julia, a KMH employee.

Howard's business associate Demany brings basketball star Kevin Garnett to KMH. While Garnett is in the store, the rare Ethiopian black opal Howard has ordered arrives. Garnett becomes obsessed with it, insisting on holding onto it for good luck at his game that night. Howard reluctantly agrees, accepting Garnett's NBA championship ring as collateral.

Immediately after Garnett leaves, Howard pawns the ring and places a six-way parlay on Garnett playing extraordinarily well in that night's game. Howard wins $600,000, but is ambushed at his daughter's school play by Arno and his bodyguards Phil and Nico. Arno reveals that he placed a stop on Howard's bet as it was made with money owed to him. Phil and Nico strip Howard naked and lock him in the trunk of his car, forcing him to call Dinah for help.

Howard tracks down Demany at a party hosted by the Weeknd. Demany says that Garnett still has the opal, angering Howard. Howard discovers Julia and the Weeknd snorting cocaine together in a bathroom, and gets into a fight with him. Feeling betrayed, Howard demands that Julia move out of his apartment. After an awkward Passover dinner, Dinah rejects Howard's plea to give their marriage another chance.

Garnett returns the opal before the auction and offers to purchase it for $175,000, but Howard refuses, given the substantially larger appraisal. Just before the auction starts, Howard discovers the opal has been appraised for significantly less than his initial estimate of $1 million. He convinces his father-in-law Gooey to bid on the gem to drive up the price, but the plan backfires when Garnett fails to top Gooey's final bid. A furious Gooey gives Howard the opal before Arno, Phil, and Nico assault Howard outside the auction house. Howard returns to KMH, bloody and in tears. Julia comforts him and they reconcile.

Howard learns that Garnett is still willing to purchase the opal; as soon as the sale is made, Howard bets the proceeds on a three-way parlay on Garnett having a strong performance. He tells Julia to travel by helicopter to Mohegan Sun to place the bet for him. Julia narrowly escapes as Arno, Phil and Nico arrive at KMH. The thugs find Howard in his office and threaten him, but he refuses to call Julia and cancel the bet. Furious, the three attempt to pursue her, but Howard locks them in between the store's security doors. Howard watches the game on TV while Arno, Phil and Nico remain trapped.

Garnett's Boston Celtics win the game, winning Howard $1.2 million. An ecstatic Howard frees Arno, Phil and Nico, but Phil, enraged, shoots and kills Howard. Arno protests and tries to escape, but Phil kills him as well. Julia leaves the casino with Howard's winnings. Phil and Nico loot the store as the police are called.