Uncut Gems Review: 6 Ups & 3 Downs

4. It's Thrilling Even Its Most Quiet Of Moments

You have to hand it to writers Ronald Bronstein and the Safdie brothers because they really know how to build a story. The fact of the matter is that Uncut Gems is so well-paced that you constantly find yourself on the edge of your seat waiting for something to happen - because the truth is that you never know when it will.

You watch the film, feeling Howard's anxiety - or at least the anxiety he should be feeling after pissing off so many people - the reason being that there is a lot of attention given to even the most menial of moments, and yet none of it feels indulgent because it all benefits the story. Events play out as they should, but the beauty about the script is that we just don't know when the escalation will hit. And then, when they want you to wait (because you're used to it by then), they release all of that tension in one fell swoop, catching you off-guard with a payoff that you certainly don't expect.

The pacing is both thrilling and subversive, ensuring that audiences remain on-edge for the entirety of the movie.