Yorgos Lanthimos on the Film That Left Him Envious

Yorgos Lanthimos has a reputation for unsettling his audiences, never shying away from the peculiar or the provocative. His films linger in the mind, not least because of their oddball metaphors and the way they prod at the boundaries of comfort. Dogtooth, for instance, remains a fixture in the memory, its bizarre take on control and manipulation impossible to shake off. Even as Lanthimos moved into English-language territory with works like The Lobster and The Favourite, he managed to keep his signature strangeness intact, only now with a broader reach and a touch more accessibility. Hollywood’s familiar faces, especially Emma Stone, have helped him prove that unconventional storytelling can still find a wide audience, provided it’s delivered with a certain mischievous flair. There’s always a sly humour running through the darkness, a quality that keeps viewers alert and, more often than not, slightly on edge.

Given his distinctive approach, it’s not easy to imagine Lanthimos being genuinely taken aback by someone else’s work. Yet, there’s one recent film that managed to do just that. In a conversation with Variety, he confessed to being both captivated and a little envious of the Safdie brothers’ Uncut Gems, the crime thriller that firmly established their reputation. Lanthimos described his reaction:

“The rhythm is relentless, the sound too, I would even dare say that it’s like watching a Robert Altman film that was dipped in acid. But all that can’t describe the film accurately either. Ben and Josh have created their own complete world – as they usually do – within a real world, that of Diamond District in New York.”

Uncut Gems: A World Apart

He seemed genuinely astonished by how the Safdies’ bold choices paid off.

“The balance they achieved between the naturalistic and the heightened elements is masterful. I was always impressed – frankly jealous – by their casting skills and instincts. They manage to create a seamless cast of characters by working with people that have never acted before all the way to veteran actors that in the end seem that they were meant to be part of the Safdies’ universe.”

The film’s energy is palpable, a headlong rush through the chaos of ambition and risk. From Julia Fox’s first foray into acting to Adam Sandler’s unexpected turn, the casting is as daring as the narrative itself. The Safdies took risks, and it’s clear they paid off handsomely.

There’s a kind of feverish momentum to the film, a sense that anything could happen at any moment. Lanthimos isn’t alone in recognising the sheer force of the experience. The film’s pulse never lets up, drawing viewers into a world that feels both authentic and heightened, a tricky balance that few manage to pull off.

Adam Sandler’s Standout Role

One of the film’s most talked-about aspects is Adam Sandler’s performance, which Lanthimos singled out for particular praise.

“It’s one of Adam Sandler’s best performances – along with Punch Drunk Love and The Meyerowitz Stories – proving once more he’s a truly great actor but also the perfect choice to play this character.”

Sandler, often associated with broad comedy, delivers something altogether different here, and it’s this unexpected casting that gives the film much of its charge. The Safdies’ knack for assembling a cast that feels both unlikely and inevitable is, in Lanthimos’s view, a rare gift.

He went on to note,

“Because from within Ben and Josh’s unique style and cinematic voice, it’s the human element that stands out and makes everything fall into place, the flawed characters that we love, even in their most embarrassing moments.”

It’s this focus on the messy, all-too-human side of things that gives the film its staying power, making it more than just a technical exercise in tension.

What Might Have Been

It’s tempting to imagine what a Lanthimos-directed version of Uncut Gems might have looked like, but as it stands, the Safdie brothers’ vision is singular. Their film, with its relentless pace and off-kilter charm, has clearly left a mark on one of contemporary cinema’s most distinctive voices.