Uncut Gems has been a 10-year journey for the Safdie brothers — one that involved 160 script rewrites, a few initial passes from the Sandman, and several other projects (Lenny Cooke, Heaven Knows What, Good Time) in the interim — and their passion and dedication can be deeply felt in the finished product. In many ways, the film feels like a perfect amalgamation of everything they’ve worked toward so far and all the things they’re passionate about; it seamlessly blends the real with the fictional (Heaven Knows What), uses basketball as a pivotal plot point (Lenny Cooke), engrosses you with its gripping adrenaline-fueled debauch (Good Time), and also has ties to their father (Daddy Longlegs). It also reaffirms the Safdies as an exciting, commanding, and vital young voice within the industry and solidifies them as masters of their craft.

The initial seeds of the project have roots in their father, Alberto Safdie, who used to work in New York’s diamond district on Manhattan’s 47th Street. While their dad did actually work for a jeweler named Howard, the film is more so inspired by the pulpy (and likely embellished) stories their dad would tell them as kids, rather than the actual man. Uncut Gems’ Howard Ratner isn’t just a jeweler; he’s a degenerate gambler with an orgasmic love for wealth, winning, and the impossible score. Like his last name would suggest, Howie is a ratfuck — and an asshole (which we learn immediately as a trip through the uncut Opal gem leads us directly into Howard’s colon) — but he’s a ratfuck (and asshole) you truly give a shit about — one of Gems’ many shining qualities. He is tragically flawed, and he makes terrible decisions, but you’re with him every step of the way, and you always root for him to succeed. Most, if not all, of this is due to Sandler’s presence, which is a phenomenal career-best that shows his unbelievable range as a performer (think of it like the darker, grittier side of Punch-Drunk Love).

Sandler disappears into the role and is absolutely incendiary. Howard is a massive and complex role, and Sandler gallantly rises to every single challenge. He expertly perverts his lovable nature to give Howard a disarming charm and unlikely endearment, which softens his grimy essence and plays perfectly into his never-ending manipulation and scheming hustle. To the right and left of Howard are two strong women — his wife, Dinah (Idina Menzel), and his employee/girlfriend, Julia (Julia Fox) — and both Menzel and Fox deliver forceful and spirited performances. Lakeith Stanfield, who continues to prove that he can bring depth and integrity to even small roles, gives solid support, along with Kevin Garnett, who, despite the fact he’s playing himself, shows that he’s got real chops. Aside from Sandler, Fox, who makes her screen debut with Gems, is the other obvious standout. She has a strong presence and a classic look, and she holds her own against a slew of seasoned talent while also being naturalistic enough to blend right in with the film’s many non-actors.