Uncut Gems

In 2010, Ethiopian Jewish miners retrieve a rare black opal from the Welo mine in Ethiopia. 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 smuggled 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, which he does. The next day, however, Demany says that Garnett still has the opal, angering Howard. Howard's bet should net him $600,000, but he is ambushed at his daughter's school play by Arno and his goons 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 meets Demany at a party hosted by R&B singer The Weeknd to retrieve the opal, only to find that Garnett still has it. Howard discovers Julia snorting cocaine together in a bathroom with the Weeknd, 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. Garnett then goes to KMH to pay Howard the cash. Arno, Phil and Nico arrive at KMH just before Garnett leaves, and Howard tells Julia to bet the cash on a three-way parlay on Garnett having a strong performance. Julia escapes as the thugs find Howard in his office and threaten him, while Julia travels by helicopter to Mohegan Sun to place the bet for him. Howard 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 television 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 him dead. Arno protests and tries to escape, but Phil shoots him too. Julia leaves the casino with Howard's winnings as Phil and Nico loot the store.

John Amos, Ca$h Out, 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.[12]

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.[13] In May 2016, it was announced that the Safdies would direct the film, from a screenplay they wrote alongside Ronald Bronstein.[14] The film's executive producers were Emma Tillinger Koskoff and Martin Scorsese, and it was produced by Elara Pictures and RT Features.[14] 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.[15] In August 2018, Eric Bogosian and Judd Hirsch joined the cast.[16][17] In September 2018, Kevin Garnett, Lakeith Stanfield and Idina Menzel joined, with Netflix acquiring international distribution rights.[18][19][20] Kobe Bryant, Amar'e Stoudemire and Joel Embiid were also considered for Garnett's role.[18] In October 2018, it was revealed that the Weeknd, Trinidad James and Pom Klementieff had joined the cast.[21][22] Klementieff's scenes, apart from a brief cameo during the film's opening credits, were cut from the final edit. Principal photography began on September 25, 2018, in New York City,[23] and concluded on November 15, 2018.[24] The film was shot by Darius Khondji on 35 mm film.[25]

Daniel Lopatin composed the original soundtrack.[26] 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.[27] The score was released on December 13, 2019, on CD and vinyl, and digital streaming services.[28]

The opening and closing sequences were inspired by the gemological photomicrography of Eduard Gübelin and Danny J. Sanchez.[29][30]

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.[31][32] 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."[33] The Jewish concept of "learning through suffering" would be important for the character of Howard throughout the film.[33]

The film had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2019.[34][35] It also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2019.[36] It was released in limited theaters the United States on December 13, 2019, and had a nationwide release on December 25, 2019.[37] It was released internationally on Netflix on January 31, 2020, and began streaming in the United States on May 25, 2020.[38][39]

• List of films that most frequently use the word "fuck"
• Uncut Gems (soundtrack)

• Uncut Gems at IMDb