Uncut Gems

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 City'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 he is there, the opal arrives, which Howard has ordered from Africa. Garnett becomes obsessed with it, insisting on holding onto it for good luck at his game that night. Howard reluctantly agrees, accepting Garnett's 2008 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 and flee.

• Adam Sandler as Howard Ratner, a Jewish-American Diamond District jeweler who is addicted to gambling
• Lakeith Stanfield as Demany, Howard's assistant, who recruits clients
• Julia Fox as Julia De Fiore, Howard's employee and girlfriend
• Kevin Garnett as himself, a power forward for the Boston Celtics
• Idina Menzel as Dinah Ratner, Howard's wife
• Eric Bogosian as Arno Moradian, a loan shark. Arno is also married to Dinah's sister.
• Judd Hirsch as Gooey, Howard's father-in-law
• Keith Williams Richards as Phil, Arno's quick-tempered henchman
• Jonathan Aranbayev as Eddie Ratner, Howard's older son
• Noa Fisher as Marcel Ratner, Howard's daughter
• Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) as himself, a popular R&B star.
• Mike Francesa as Gary, Howard's bookie
• Jacob Igielski as Beni Ratner, Howard's younger son
• Wayne Diamond[6] as Wayne, a wealthy gambler who takes a liking to Julia
• Josh Ostrovsky as Noah
• Benjy Kleiner as Aaron
• Pom Klementieff as Lexis
• Paloma Elsesser as Kat
• Tommy Kominik as Nico
• Louis Arias as Buddy
• Keren Shemel as Elline Goldfarb
• Sahar Bibiyan as Ida
• Hailey Gates as Adley's Receptionist

Additionally, John Amos, Ca$h Out, Joe Iskhakov, and Trinidad James appear as themselves, with Amos appearing as Howard's neighbor and the others as acquaintances of Demany. Natasha Lyonne and Tilda Swinton have brief voice appearances as a Celtics staff member and an auction house manager, respectively.[7]

Josh and Benny Safdie conceived the film in 2009, and approached Adam Sandler to star; however, Sandler’s manager rejected the film’s script before Sandler got a chance to read it.[8] In May 2016, it was announced that the Safdies would direct the film, from a screenplay they wrote alongside Ronald Bronstein.[9] The film’s executive producers were Emma Tillinger Koskoff and Martin Scorsese, and it was produced by Elara Pictures and RT Features.[9] In May 2017, Jonah Hill joined the cast, with Scott Rudin, Eli Bush and Sebastian Bear-McClard joining as producers, and A24 distributing.[1]

In April 2018, Sandler replaced Hill.[10] In August 2018, Eric Bogosian and Judd Hirsch joined the cast.[11][12] In September 2018, Lakeith Stanfield and Idina Menzel joined, with Netflix acquiring international distribution rights.[13][14] In October 2018, it was revealed that The Weeknd, Trinidad James and Pom Klementieff had joined,[15][16] followed by Kevin Garnett in November 2018.[17] Kobe Bryant, Amar'e Stoudemire and Joel Embiid were also considered for Garnett's role.[17] Principal photography began on September 25, 2018, in New York City,[18] and concluded on November 15, 2018.[19] The film was shot by Darius Khondji on 35 mm film.[20]

Daniel Lopatin composed the original soundtrack.[21] He also recorded several songs with the Weeknd for the film, which went unused; however, he has production credits on the Weeknd's most recent album, After Hours.[22] The score was released on December 13, 2019, on CD and vinyl, and digital streaming services.[23]

The opening and closing sequences were inspired by the gemological photomicrography of Eduard Gübelin and Danny J. Sanchez.[24][25]

Josh and Benny Safdie's Jewish upbringing was essential to their crafting of the film. The story was heavily influenced by their father's time working in the Diamond District as a salesman.[26][27] When creating the character of Howard, Josh and Benny Safdie said they were heavily influenced by Jewish humor and actors from the 20th century, wanting Howard to encompass Jewish stereotypes proudly and treat them as a "superpower."[28] The Jewish concept of "learning through suffering" would be important for the character of Howard throughout the film.[28]

The film had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2019.[29][30] It also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2019.[31] It was released in limited theaters the United States on December 13, 2019, and had a nationwide release on December 25, 2019.[32] It was released internationally on Netflix on January 31, 2020, and began streaming in the United States on May 25, 2020.[33][34]

• Uncut Gems (soundtrack)

• Uncut Gems on IMDb