B enny Safdie desperately wants to tell me about the time he got punched in the face.

Over a long breakfast at Old John’s Luncheonette — the kind of New York diner that, despite a recent renovation, still emanates a distinct greasy-spoon vibe — the 39-year-old writer, director, and actor will wax poetic on a number of topics: elementary particle physics, the benefits of therapy, geeking out with Christopher Nolan, It’s a Wonderful Life. He’s as good a conversationalist as he is a filmmaker, and as one half of the duo responsible for movies like 2017’s Good Time and 2019’s Uncut Gems, that’s saying something. Those gritty, often harrowing, and oddly funny character studies helped Robert Pattinson and Adam Sandler dig into darker sides they didn’t normally get to display, and Safdi

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