Uncut Gems (2019)

Set in New York's Diamond District, a Jewish jeweler and gambling addict (Adam Sandler) must recover an expensive gem that he purchased to pay off his debts. To say everything goes wrong is an understatement. Directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, the film starts out with an intensity level of 10 and never lets up for the next two hours. Within the first 15 minutes of the film, you get the sense that this will all end badly and in that respect, the film accomplishes its goal. It's just a matter of how far will it go before it all comes crashing down on our protagonist. Sandler is just fantastic here, going all the way with his loser character. But that's also problematic because we don't care about what happens to him. He's a total dickwad, a jerk so addicted to gambling that he'd sell his own kids if he thought he could get away with it. When his soon to be ex-wife (Idina Menzel) says "You're the most annoying person I know", you feel her pain. He's a pathetic a-hole so it's a compliment to Sandler's performance that he can still hold your attention while engaging in the most moronic actions. Taut and tough, it's a gem (pun intended) of a crime thriller. With Lakeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Kevin Garnett, Eric Bogosian, Judd Hirsch, Abel Tesfaye and John Amos.