Fans of 'Marty Supreme' Need to See This Instant Cult-Classic That Will Give You a Panic Attack

Marty Supreme is many things: it's yet another acting showcase for Timothée Chalamet, who plays a tennis table pro seeking to elevate the sport, and the first solo film by Josh Safdie. Above all else, it's intense. Marty Supreme is packed full of scenes that seem designed to give its audience a panic attack, from Chalamet's Marty Mauser racing down the streets of New York to the back-and-forth of multiple table tennis games. Yet it pales in comparison to Josh and Benny Safdie's nerve-wracking masterpiece, Uncut Gems.

Uncut Gems and Marty Supreme share a lot in common. Both are period pieces set in New York City, focusing on a protagonist who finds himself in increasingly uncomfortable situations. However, Uncut Gems doesn't let up for a minute, as Adam Sandler's Howard Ratner is constantly teetering on the brink of losing money, not to mention his life. The end result is one of the best movies of the 2010s — and one of the most stressful.

The Sadife Brothers Put Adam Sandler Through Hell in 'Uncut Gems'

Uncut Gems opens with a psychedelic trip through the center of a black opal, then takes a hard segway into Sandler's Howard Ratner, finishing up a colonoscopy. This unexpected sequence of events, backed by Daniel Lopatin's pulse-pounding score, sets the stage for what's to come as Howard makes a series of poor decisions that put him in harm's way. After an encounter with Kevin Garnett, Howard ends up with the basketball star's NBA championship ring and attempts to pawn it to pay debts he owes to his brother-in-law, Arno (Eric Bogosian). Things don't go as planned, as Howard constantly finds himself at the end of some horrendously bad luck.

Part of what makes Uncut Gems such a harrowing watch is the fact that Howard never seems to be safe, no matter where he goes. When he seeks solace with his mistress Julia (Julia Fox), he catches her in a bathroom with none other than The Weeknd, leading to one of the most hilarious fight sequences ever put to film. When he learns that the opal Garnett wanted is worth far less than expected, he attempts to drive up its price at an auction...and gets dangled out a window for his trouble. Even Howard's attempt to watch his daughter at her school play is marred by loan sharks tracking him down.

The other half of Uncut Gems' success lies in how the Safdie Brothers construct the film​​​​​​. Not only does the music feel like your heart is hammering in your chest, but the editing is fast-paced and utterly relentless. On top of that, the cinematography by Darius Khondji is constantly off-kilter, disorienting the audience. The end result will make any viewer feel as if they're in Howard's shoes, which is both memorable and rather frightening.

'Uncut Gems' Revitalized Adam Sandler's Career

While Uncut Gems boasts a talented pair of directors in the Safdie Brothers and an incredible cast, it wouldn't work without Adam Sandler. Sandler slowly peels back the layers surrounding Howard throughout the film, showing that behind his sunglasses and fast-talking persona lies a man whose emotional well-being has been put into gambling. Uncut Gems also serves as a reminder that Sandler can deliver incredible performances, which might have been a surprise to anyone who only knew him from his comedy work. Sandler almost didn't star in the film, as the Safdie Brothers revealed it took time — and a stroke of luck — to get him to star:

"In 2015, we tried to get him, and we were told he was unavailable for the dates that we needed him. I said, 'Okay, well, we’ll move the dates around.' And they’re like, 'No, no, he’s unavailable.'So I said, 'Okay.'... Couple that with the fact that the script wasn’t ready to be even read by him — thank God he didn’t read it until after [he saw] Good Time."

The end result led to Uncut Gems, and it's lucky that things turned out in the Safdies' favor, as the film received near-universal acclaim. It also marked a shift in Sandler's career, as he'd do more dramatic performances, including a great turn in Jay Kelly. If you love Marty Supreme or need a jolt of excitement for movie night, Uncut Gems is right up your alley.

Uncut Gems is available to stream on HBO Max.