The movie tandem behind “Uncut Gems” (2019) and “Good Time” (2017), the Safdie brothers, are separating. Following a discussion with Variety, Benny Safdie acknowledged the “amicable” split from his brother Josh, referring to it as “a natural progression of what we each want to explore.”
“I will direct on my own, and I will explore things that I want to explore.” In an extensive interview, Benny Safdie stated to the magazine, “I want that freedom right now in my life.”
Variety reports that a forthcoming film that was supposed to be a sequel to “Uncut Gems,” in which the brothers would have reconnected with Adam Sandler, has been shelved. Benny Safdie stated in the article that “he did not co-write the script and hasn’t been a meaningful part of the creative process, despite reports to the contrary,” even though the two were scheduled to co-direct the movie.
The brothers are “two of the more playfully inventive filmmakers working in American cinema,” according to The Times, which also noted that they “clearly like working your nerves” in its evaluation of “Uncut Gems.”