It was a combination of rage, self defense, and opportunity:
- Phil was enraged by the treatment he had just endured... not just held against his will, but also actively taunted by Howard during the ordeal. Not the type to forgive and forget, he killed Howard in angry retribution.
- Then he killed Arno because Arno was now upset with him and therefore a threat.
- Finally, the store was loaded with valuable items that Phil and Nico proceeded to steal, meaning Phil's killings turned the situation into a much bigger payday for himself.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/movies › uncut gems - ending discussion *spoilers included*
r/movies on Reddit: Uncut Gems - Ending Discussion *spoilers included*
March 17, 2023 -
Sorry guys I'm a bit late to the party but I just saw Uncut Gems starring Adam Sander last night,
The movie keeps its audience in a constant state of instability and chaos (which I later found interesting) but the ending really confused me...
It felt like all the stress and sympathy that I constantly kept developing throughout the film because of Howard's helplessness went straight to trash because of his tragic death :(
After bottling so much sadness for him, I really thought that him winning the last gamble can FINALLY be a huge catharsis and release tension - but instead it got even worse because he just died!?
Now it feels like the movie just ended with an amazing music track but left some of us completely stranded without closure :O
Does anyone else feel the same? (You're free to oppose :))
Top answer 1 of 5
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After bottling so much sadness for him, I really thought that him winning the last gamble can FINALLY be a huge catharsis and release tension Because that's not his last bet. He'd be back to gambling again within minutes. He learned nothing from the whole experience and he never fundamentally changed. His death is the only logical conclusion to the path he was on.
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You missed out the theme of the movie. He was never going to repay them and would have lost the money in Gambling again and the story would have repeated again and again untill he died. He was addicted to Gambling. Atleast he went out being happy about winning than being depressed and scared like he was through out the movie
ScreenRant
screenrant.com › home › movies › movie features › uncut gems ending explained
Uncut Gems Ending Explained: What Happens To The Money
June 1, 2024 - At the end of Uncut Gems, Kevin Garnett pays Howard a massive sum of money for the opal, which would allow Howard to repay his debts. However, Howard instead decides to bet it all, sending Julia to the Mohegan Sun Casino to place a bet on Garnett's ...
plot explanation - Why did Phil do this to Howard at the end of “Uncut Gems?” - Movies & TV Stack Exchange
Just watched Uncut Gems (2019) for the first time and was thrown for a loop about the ending. The whole film is about Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) seemingly endlessly gambling in his life: With mon... More on movies.stackexchange.com
[Spoilers] Regarding the ending of Uncut Gems
was Howard dying really worse/more tragic than him living? So this is kind of a wishy-washy answer but yes and no. Hypothetically, he could live and cause way more damage to other people. So in that way, he certainly gets off "easy." But on the other hand, he dies at a literal climax of happiness. Literally moments before he's shot, he's screaming in adulation and relief with Julia and even Arno is cracking a smile. The relief and excitement are palpable and then BANG. It's all taken away. So yes, Howie could have died in a ditch alone and destitute some indeterminate time later, finally expecting and maybe even welcoming his end. And that would certainly be tragic. But there's something about him being shot at this moment when he least expects it that makes it just as tragic, if not a little more. More on reddit.com
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January 21, 2020What the hell was that ending in Uncut Gems
do i even need to give a spoiler warning? We're obviously talking about the end of a movie here read no further if your going to whine about being spoiled. So the whole movie sets up Howard (Adam Sandler) living a chaotic life as a jeweler in debt to several loan sharks, lying and cheating... More on resetera.com
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Uncut Gems - Ending Discussion *spoilers included*
After bottling so much sadness for him, I really thought that him winning the last gamble can FINALLY be a huge catharsis and release tension Because that's not his last bet. He'd be back to gambling again within minutes. He learned nothing from the whole experience and he never fundamentally changed. His death is the only logical conclusion to the path he was on. More on reddit.com
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March 17, 2023Videos
06:35
Uncut Gems Ending Explained & Interpretation - YouTube
12:04
UNCUT GEMS Ending Explained Breakdown + Full Movie Spoiler Talk ...
This moment is so pivotal that it’s also where the movie’s poster comes from- but you don’t realize the full impact of it until you’ve watched #uncutgems #adamsandler #safdiebrothers #film #a24 #analysis | TikTok
02:12
Uncut Gems Ending but it's the moment Adam Sandler became Heisenberg ...
YouTube
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Uncut Gems Ending (Best Version)
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Cinemablend
cinemablend.com › movies › features
Uncut Gems Ending: Do They Get Away With It In The End? | Cinemablend
January 8, 2020 - That surprise could range from one of the many remaining debt collectors Howard left unpaid now chasing her for closure, to her starting a new life in a post-Howard world after finding the shop deserted and her boyfriend dead (and perhaps a police presence). Julia’s fate at the end of Uncut Gems is one of the major threads that is still left open, much like the various debts we see Howard rack up throughout the film.
Top answer 1 of 2
9
It was a combination of rage, self defense, and opportunity:
- Phil was enraged by the treatment he had just endured... not just held against his will, but also actively taunted by Howard during the ordeal. Not the type to forgive and forget, he killed Howard in angry retribution.
- Then he killed Arno because Arno was now upset with him and therefore a threat.
- Finally, the store was loaded with valuable items that Phil and Nico proceeded to steal, meaning Phil's killings turned the situation into a much bigger payday for himself.
2 of 2
0
In addition to Shizs answer, i always assumed that he was brooding on this for the entire movie.
Howard was a loser to him anyway, someone to push down and extort. For the first time Howard was starting to have the upper hand and Phil planned on taking everything for himself.
Arno was always the leader of his group. But in their short entrapment he lost his authority. Howard was in charge of the situation now, not Arno. And Phil did not accept Howard as a superior.
It was his chance to restructure the dynamic, get rid of two people to potentially look up to, take all the gains from the robbery and take over the gang.
He planned it out, waited patiently for the opportunity and then took it. No hesitation or mercy.
IMDb
imdb.com › news › ni64617843
Uncut Gems Ending Explained: What Happens To The Money - IMDb
Howard's pursuit of money leads to his demise in the tumultuous ending of Uncut Gems. The film highlights the fleeting pleasure of greed, with Howard's temporary success overshadowed by his fate.
Distractify
distractify.com › home › entertainment › one of the actors got injured during the shooting of the 'uncut gems' ending scene
One of the Actors Got Injured During the Shooting of the 'Uncut Gems' Ending Scene
December 13, 2019 - Constantly chased by greedy financiers and self-defined headhunters, in his last moments we watch him cling onto the patchy screen of his television, praying that the game he betted on would end according to his predictions, get him money and earn him a few more days.
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Uncut_Gems
Uncut Gems - Wikipedia
6 days ago - Uncut Gems is a 2019 American crime thriller film directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ronald Bronstein. It stars Adam Sandler, LaKeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Kevin Garnett, Idina Menzel, and Eric Bogosian. The film tells the story of Howard Ratner, a Jewish-American jeweler and gambling addict who must retrieve an expensive gem he purchased in order to pay off his debts.
Quora
quora.com › What-do-you-think-happened-after-the-ending-of-Uncut-Gems
What do you think happened after the ending of Uncut Gems? - Quora
Answer (1 of 2): I think Howard's family got paid a large insurance settlement for the stolen inventory that was in the shop. He probably over insured his merchandise. He probably had life insurance too. Even a self-absorbed compulsive gambler like Howard cared about his kids well being, although...
Collider
collider.com › home › reviews › why i can't get over the ending of 'uncut gems'
Uncut Gems Ending Explained: This Is How You Win (Kind Of)
January 20, 2022 - With Daniel Lopatin's retro synth score droning in the background, the camera zooms into the kaleidoscopic colors of the gem, transporting the viewer inside the stone, the universe, and ultimately... Howard's colon thanks to a routine colonoscopy. Yep. It’s all the same, says Uncut Gems, whether a stolen precious stone or the aging flesh of an addict, these are the materials from which myths are born.
Digital Spy
digitalspy.com › movies › netflix › uncut gems ending and its real-life connection, explained
Uncut Gems ending and its real-life connection, explained
January 31, 2020 - When we first meet Howard Ratner (after his colonoscopy, that is), things certainly seem to be on the up. He's got his hands on a rare black opal – the titular uncut gem – that he thinks will sell for $1 million at an upcoming auction,
Reddit
reddit.com › r/truefilm › [spoilers] regarding the ending of uncut gems
r/TrueFilm on Reddit: [Spoilers] Regarding the ending of Uncut Gems
January 21, 2020 -
In the title but again SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!
I saw Uncut Gems the other day and loved it, really excellent movie, stressed the hell out of me. The movie is kinda predictable but more in a way that makes you say "god I hope X doesn't happen" and then it of course does. One of these predictable events is how Howard will end the movie, which just so happens to be with a bullet in the cheek. It's really not a surprise based on his actions and "affiliates," but I was still a bit disappointed that he had to die and it is sort of tragic.
The reason I'm making this post though is not to say I wish Howard didn't die but rather, was Howard dying really worse/more tragic than him living?
Personally while I enjoy the ending of the film and am unsure whether the Safdies were going for a "tragic" ending, I think if they were it would have been better to leave Howard alive. Howard was a scumbag and no matter how big he won he'd never change or give up his wild and dangerous lifestyle. I think that had Howard lived at the end of this story that he still would have died later, but perhaps would have gotten even more people hurt/killed or who knows what else.
So yeah again, was Howard dying really worse/more tragic than if he had lived?
Also if Howard did live at the end, how do you think it changes the theme/moral of the film?
Top answer 1 of 5
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was Howard dying really worse/more tragic than him living? So this is kind of a wishy-washy answer but yes and no. Hypothetically, he could live and cause way more damage to other people. So in that way, he certainly gets off "easy." But on the other hand, he dies at a literal climax of happiness. Literally moments before he's shot, he's screaming in adulation and relief with Julia and even Arno is cracking a smile. The relief and excitement are palpable and then BANG. It's all taken away. So yes, Howie could have died in a ditch alone and destitute some indeterminate time later, finally expecting and maybe even welcoming his end. And that would certainly be tragic. But there's something about him being shot at this moment when he least expects it that makes it just as tragic, if not a little more.
2 of 5
132
I think that moment was the best possible death for Howard. He went out at the peak of his gambling success while still high from the victory. If he had survived I expect he would have pissed it all away gambling on the next round of the playoffs anyway, at least in this situation he went out with a smile on his face. After how anxious I was throughout the film, riding the ups and downs of his addiction, it was almost a relief.
Facebook
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The Movie Blog
themovieblog.com › home › review: uncut gems had me until that ending
Review: Uncut Gems Had Me Until That Ending
January 2, 2020 - Uncut Gems is driven by a solid performance by Adam Sandler in an enthralling story of gambling addiction. Above anything else, you’re watching this to see Adam Sandler shine, and the chaotic drama will only keep you tuned in until the very end. Uncut Gems is one of those movies that I don’t think many people will regret watching.
ResetEra
resetera.com › discussion › etcetera forum
What the hell was that ending in Uncut Gems | ResetEra
June 12, 2022 - He loses big because despite being smart, he was a compulsive gambling addict and ended up pissing off too many people with his inability to control himself. Yeah, they probably are gonna get caught because of the cameras, but the money isn't the point. Those guys he locked in were stuck in that room for several hours getting ready to murder his ass and he just assumed the money was gonna make it okay if he won.
Looper
looper.com › 418192 › the-ending-of-uncut-gems-explained
The Ending Of Uncut Gems Explained - Looper
May 24, 2022 - There's one big question left lingering in the air at the end of the critically beloved 2019 film "Uncut Gems." The audience is left to decide if the antihero met an untimely death or an inevitable one. The frenetic Howard Ratner, played by Adam Sandler, practically shakes with a compulsive need to take risks, channeled mostly through an addiction to gambling.
Rotten Tomatoes
rottentomatoes.com › m › uncut_gems
Uncut Gems | Rotten Tomatoes
August 30, 2019 - I appreciated the dark ending and similar to Good Time, having a morally deplorable character get their just desserts is a bittersweet ending that the Safdie brothers have made part of their calling card. The final frantic minutes of the film truly elevated Uncut Gems past Good Time because for once, the stakes were high and felt palpable.
YouTube
youtube.com › max gallen
Uncut Gems Ending but it's the moment Adam Sandler became Heisenberg - YouTube
Bro thinks he's Walter White 💀{a.k.a Uncut Gems Ending but it's directed by Vince Gilligan}
Published October 27, 2020 Views 93K
Yahoo!
yahoo.com › yahoo entertainment › movies
What Happened To Julia At The End Of Uncut Gems? Julia Fox Has A Sweet Take On What She Does With All That Money
September 22, 2025 - At the end of Uncut Gems, Julia doesn’t know what has happened to Howard, but she successfully avoids the hired thugs that have been dispatched to search for her at the casino where she placed Howard’s bet.
Far Out Magazine
faroutmagazine.co.uk › home › film › cutting room floor › ‘uncut gems’ explained: what does the ending mean?
'Uncut Gems' ending explained
April 30, 2024 - He lost everything in the end, but from the perspective of his addictive personality, he went out on his sword by being proven right. Howard lives in a constant state of feeling unfulfilled, whether it’s with his work or marriage, and that ...