He plays a defensive, beaten-down yet eager-to-please mid-level con artist with ease, and the agitated energy he brings to his comedy ends up being the exact vibe that the Safdie brothers wanted for Uncut Gems.
Uncut Gems applies the pressure and never really stops.
It’s not as airtight as Good Time, but it’s an uncomfortable trip through some areas of New York City we rarely see on screen, and Sandler is the ideal tour guide.
It’s a terrific Sandler performance, and coming on the heels of the also impressive The Meyerowitz Stories, it makes me think the actor might be ready to move into the next phase of his career.