The Safie Brothers' new film, Uncut Gems, is only set for its nationwide release on December 25, but it's already receiving rave reviews. If you've seen its whirlwind of a trailer, you've probably been counting down to its premiere date anyway. During his recent appearance on The Tonight Show, Lakeith Stanfield, who stars in Uncut Gems, hyped up the thriller and said it draws a "visceral response" from the viewer.
The movie is also generating a lot of buzz because of its other cast members. Adam Sandler - who plays Howard Ratner, a gambling addict entangled in a dangerous predicament - is being praised for pulling of a dramatic role in a way that is unprecedented in his career. There's already talk that his performance is Oscar-worthy. When Howard Stern asked what his reaction would be if he didn't even receive a nomination, he threatened to "f—ing come back and do one again that is so bad on purpose just to make you all pay."
Sandler also had things to say about his unlikely co-star, The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye), who makes his acting debut, playing himself, in Uncut Gems. Sandler's character attends one of the Toronto artist's concerts and ends up in a physical altercation with him. When asked about the fight scene at the IFP Gotham Awards, Sandler told Vulture about how much he enjoyed working with The Weeknd. “First of all, I love that kid. He’s such a nice guy. He’s so deep. He’s so into the Safdies’ other work. He was excited about doing a movie with them,” he said. “We got to know each other and got closer. He was a gentleman [on set]. I’m older than him. I don’t think he really wanted to fight as hard as he could! But then when we got cooking, he was a strong guy, a tough guy. He did a great job. He was really bold to play that part, to play himself, and not be such a lovable guy in the movie. That new album, my God! Did you hear that yet? It’s good.”
The Weeknd read Sandler's kind words and reciprocated the sentiment on Twitter, writing, "love you Sandman." Unsurprisingly, the fans replying to his tweet are more interested in the fact Adam Sandler has heard The Weeknd's next album before they did. Even receiving TWO new singles last week didn't satisfy them. SMH.