Filmmaker The Safdies' first feature was the 2009 film
Daddy Longlegs, which they also wrote the screenplay for and edited together. The film was showcased in the
Directors' Fortnight at the
2009 Cannes Film Festival. In 2013, they debuted the documentary film
Lenny Cooke at the
Tribeca Film Festival, a documentary they became attached to after Cooke approached them to review the footage. In 2014, the pair premiered their next film
Heaven Knows What at the
71st Venice International Film Festival. In February 2016, the brothers began filming their crime thriller film
Good Time. It premiered at the
2017 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the
Palme d'Or.
Uncut Gems, Josh and Benny's next film, starred
Adam Sandler,
Lakeith Stanfield and
Julia Fox and was executive produced by
Martin Scorsese. The brothers won the
Independent Spirit Award for Best Director, and Benny shared the
Independent Spirit Award for Best Editing with
Ronald Bronstein, with whom he co-edited all the Safdie brother films.
Solo career In early 2024, it was reported that Josh and Benny would no longer be directing films together and would pursue solo careers. Benny described the split as amicable, calling it a "natural progression of what we each want to explore." and was released by
A24 on December 25, 2025. His frequent collaborator
Ronald Bronstein both co-wrote and edited the film, while
Darius Khondji was the cinematographer and
Jack Fisk was the production designer. The film's $70 million budget makes it
A24's most expensive film. ==Personal life==