The Safdie Brothers, who created Good Time and the Adam Sandler film Uncut Gems, split in 2024 and have gone on to direct their own critically acclaimed films.
While Benny Safdie created Smashing Machine with The Rock and Emily Blunt, his brother Josh received a whopping nine Oscar nominations for Marty Supreme, including for Best Director and a third Best Actor nomination for Timothee Chalamet.
This success, however, has been mired in controversy after claims have emerged over what led to the split between the directorial duo.
A Page Six report alleges that the split was due to an incident while filming Good Time, the pair’s 2017 Robert Pattinson-led thriller.
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The report claims that a 17-year-old was hired by a producer to play a prostitute in a sex scene. The scene was alongside Buddy Durress, a recently released convict whom the Safdies hired as part of their strategy of casting non-actors in their films.
Durress was reportedly high during filming of the scene and exposed himself to her, asking if he could ‘stick it in’.
He died in 2023 of a heroin overdose.
The report claims that Benny found out in 2023 that the girl in question was 17, while his brother Josh had discovered this shortly after the scene was filmed. This, the outlet claimed, is what led to the pair’s creative split announced in 2024.
The brothers have spoken about their creative split in the past, but have not cited the alleged incident.
Benny Safdie has since focused more on acting, appearing in Oppenheimer, Licorice Pizza, Happy Gilmore 2 before creating The Smashing Machine.
He said that the split was likely permanent in an interview with The Playlist, saying: “Well, I think it doesn’t seem like [the door is ajar] because we made some amazing movies together, and I learned so much [from] them—and he’s my brother.
“But I just got to the point where there were things I wanted to explore that he didn’t, and there were things he wanted to explore that I didn’t. And I thought, well, I’m going to go to the place where I’m excited.”
He also stated there was a DGA rule which prevented partnered directors from easily returning once they split, which would make reuniting difficult.
Speaking to Variety in 2024, he said: “It’s a natural progression of what we each want to explore.
“I will direct on my own, and I will explore things that I want to explore. I want that freedom right now in my life.”
Josh Safdie is yet to speak publicly about the split with his brother and declined to comment on Page Six’s report.
The report claims the brothers have no plans to work together moving forward as a result of Josh's alleged actions as the 'leader of the set' who was directing the scene involving the 17-year-old girl, though Benny was also reportedly in the room operating the boom mic.
LADbible have contacted representatives for Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie for comment.
Topics: Film, TV and Film, Celebrity, Sex and Relationships
Michael Slavin