The Pleasure of Being Robbed In 2007, Josh Safdie was hired by Andy Spade and Anthony Sperduti to create a short film featuring
Kate Spade Handbags. It also screened in the
Directors' Fortnight section at the
2008 Cannes Film Festival, along with a short film
The Acquaintances of a Lonely John directed by Benny Safdie.
Daddy Longlegs Their second feature film,
Daddy Longlegs, had its world premiere under the title
Go Get Some Rosemary in the
Directors' Fortnight section at the
2009 Cannes Film Festival. Starring
Ronald Bronstein, it was inspired by the filmmakers' younger years living with their father, Alberto. The film won the
John Cassavetes Award at the
26th Independent Spirit Awards.
Lenny Cooke Their first full-length documentary,
Lenny Cooke, follows the life of
Lenny Cooke, a once-phenom high school basketball player, from adolescence to manhood. The film premiered at the 2013
Tribeca Film Festival.
Heaven Knows What In 2014, the Safdie Brothers directed
Heaven Knows What under their Elara Pictures banner. The film centers around the real-life stories written in a book titled
Mad Love in New York City by lead actress
Arielle Holmes. The film had its world premiere at the
71st Venice International Film Festival.
Good Time The Safdies directed the 2017 crime film
Good Time, starring
Robert Pattinson and Benny Safdie as siblings. The film was selected to compete for the
Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the
2017 Cannes Film Festival.
Uncut Gems The Safdies directed
Uncut Gems, starring
Adam Sandler, with
Martin Scorsese serving as an executive producer. The film was inspired by their father's time working in the
Manhattan Diamond District. Theatrically released in the United States in 2019, it received critical acclaim and became one of
A24's highest-grossing releases.
Split and solo projects In December 2017,
The Hollywood Reporter announced that the Safdies would helm a remake of
48 Hrs. with the script being written by Josh Safdie,
Ronald Bronstein, and
Jerrod Carmichael. In December 2019, the Safdies elaborated in an interview with
The A.V. Club, saying the film was still being made but it would no longer be a remake. In 2025, Josh Safdie said the film was dead: "we wrote a remake of
48 Hrs. for Paramount, and they read it, and they were like, ‘This isn’t a remake, what is this? This is an original film.’ We’re like, ‘Sorry, we tried.’" In February 2020,
Showtime ordered a pilot for
The Curse, a show about the making of an
HGTV-style reality series, starring
Emma Stone,
Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie. Fielder co-created and co-wrote the show with Benny. In April 2022, it was reported by IndieWire that the Safdies were working with Sandler on a new project.
Megan Thee Stallion,
Ben Affleck,
Steve Harvey, and
Gael Garcia Bernal were in talks to co-star. The project would've focused on baseball and, more specifically, baseball card memorabilia; however, production stalled as a result of the
2023 Hollywood labor disputes. Additionally, Benny decided he would not co-direct the film. In January 2024, Benny revealed that the brothers would no longer be directing projects together, as they expanded to solo careers. Benny also stated he "didn't know" if he would direct a film with his brother again.
Elara Pictures The Safdies co-founded the production company
Elara Pictures in 2014. The company produced the Safdies' feature films
Heaven Knows What,
Good Time, and
Uncut Gems,
Owen Kline's feature film directorial debut
Funny Pages, and the Showtime television series
The Curse. Due to sexual misconduct allegations against Sebastian Bear-McClard and the Safdie brothers’ split, the fate of Elara remains unknown.
Central Pictures Central Pictures is a production company founded by Josh Safdie, Ronald Bronstein, and Eli Bush in 2024. They produced films such as ''
If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, Marty Supreme, and the upcoming The Land of Nod''.
Out for the Count Productions Out for The Count Productions is a production company founded by Benny Safdie in 2024, known for producing
The Smashing Machine and the upcoming
Lizard Music. ==Influences==