“Uncut Gems” is one of the best movies I’ve seen all year. Yes, it stars Adam Sandler, but don’t let that turn you away. He’s been in a lot of junk in recent years, but this is one of the best movies Sandler has starred in for awhile. Here he plays Howard Ratner, a jeweler crippled with gambling debts. When gets his hands on a rare black opal, he plans to auction it off to pay his debts. But of course, for our entertainment, things don’t go as smoothly as planned. 

This is by far one of the most stressful and frantic movies I have seen in a long time. People are constantly talking over each other to create a disorientating feeling. Sometimes in noisy settings the level of dialogue is lower than usual, so you really have to strain your ears to listen to it. None of this bothered me. In fact, it kept me on the edge of my seat. I’ve felt more stressed watching this movie with mostly dialogue than I have watching action movies. In several scenes my heart was racing and not many movies can get that reaction from me. 

What really made this movie work for me was Sandler. He’s the rug that ties the room together. Without him the audience would just be lost in a massive rioting crowd. But with him we have someone to help us navigate through it. His persona and the humor he brings works perfectly in turn with the films stressful nature. 

I highly recommend “Uncut Gems.” I honestly can’t think of anything substantial that took me out of the experience. The echoey dialogue bothered me a bit, but I’m not sure if that was an artistic choice or just a problem with my theatre.  And sure, maybe the movie could have been a bit shorter, but I’m really grasping at straws at this point. Check this movie out. It is not one to miss.

Rating: 4.5/5