---
name: "Benny Safdie"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/benny-safdie"
fi1m_id: "benny-safdie"
imdb_id: "nm1509478"
tmdb_id: 227564
wikidata_id: "Q43676009"
roles: ["Actor","Director","Writer"]
born: "24 February 1986"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 11
average_fi1m_score: 69
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 8
updated: "2026-10-03T01:28:06.950479+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Benny Safdie

## Identity

Benny Safdie

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/benny-safdie
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** benny-safdie
- **IMDb ID:** nm1509478
- **TMDB ID:** 227564
- **Wikidata ID:** Q43676009
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Safdie, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q43676009, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1509478/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/227564

Actor and director. Born 24 February 1986 in New York City, New York, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor, Director, Writer
- **Born:** 24 February 1986, New York City, New York, USA
- **Active:** 2017–present
- **Also known as:** Ben Safdie, The Safdie Brothers, Benjamin Safdie
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 11: 8 acting, 3 directing
- **Frequently works with:** [Adam Sandler](https://film.one/person/adam-sandler.md), [Emily Blunt](https://film.one/person/emily-blunt.md), [Josh Safdie](https://film.one/person/josh-safdie.md), [Ronald Bronstein](https://film.one/person/ronald-bronstein.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 69, as actor, over 8 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2010s 84 (2), 2020s 69 (9)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 69 to 71 across 8 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 2 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 7 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Comedy 5, Drama 5, Adventure 2, Fantasy 2, Action 1, Animation 1
- **Screen time:** 16 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $3,651m across 5 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Safdie, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q43676009, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1509478/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/227564

## Coming up

- *Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall* (2026-11-20), Executive Producer

## Streaming the US now

- **Peacock:** [*Oppenheimer*](https://film.one/film/oppenheimer.md) (84), [*The Super Mario Galaxy Movie*](https://film.one/film/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie.md) (38)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Licorice Pizza*](https://film.one/film/licorice-pizza.md) (80), [*Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.*](https://film.one/film/are-you-there-god-its-me-margaret.md) (75)
- **Netflix:** [*Pieces of a Woman*](https://film.one/film/pieces-of-a-woman.md) (66), [*Happy Gilmore 2*](https://film.one/film/happy-gilmore-2.md) (52)
- **The Roku Channel:** [*Uncut Gems*](https://film.one/film/uncut-gems.md) (85)
- **Tubi:** [*Good Time*](https://film.one/film/good-time.md) (82)
- **Apple TV:** [*The Curse*](https://film.one/tv/the-curse.md) (77)
- **HBO Max:** [*The Smashing Machine*](https://film.one/film/the-smashing-machine.md) (70)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Benny Safdie

> With his brother Josh, Benny Safdie made two of the most anxious thrillers of the last decade, hurrying a man from one bad decision to the next. Directing alone, he has slowed down and not yet worked out what to do with the quiet.

In *Good Time* (2017) a bank robbery goes wrong, Connie Nikas's brother ends up in custody, and Connie spends the rest of the film making things worse to get him out. Nothing is allowed to finish. Benny Safdie and Ronald Bronstein cut it so that each difficulty arrives before the last is weighed, and Daniel Lopatin's electronic score makes the pressure almost physical. *Uncut Gems* (2019) does the same with Adam Sandler's Howard Ratner. We watched *Good Time* wanting Connie's next bad idea to come off and were uneasy at how easily the film had put us on his side.

He made films with his brother Josh from the late 2000s before *Good Time* and *Uncut Gems* brought them a wider audience. Their pictures put non-professionals beside stars and keep close to a man who cannot stop. Then Benny went off on his own. *The Curse* (2023), made with Nathan Fielder, kept the discomfort and spread it over a series. "I will direct on my own, and I will explore things that I want to explore," he said in 2024. *The Smashing Machine* (2025) is the result.

He is also a good actor, and a quiet one. Nick in *Good Time* is the one person we are allowed to feel simply about. Dougie Schecter in *The Curse* wants footage and does not much care what it costs the people in it. For other directors he goes smaller still: Joel Wachs in *Licorice Pizza* (2021) is quieter and sadder; Herb Simon in *Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.* (2023) is a father raising his daughter with no religion; he is Edward Teller in *Oppenheimer* (2023). He voices Bowser Junior in *The Super Mario Galaxy Movie* (2026), a poor film in which his sulking scenes with Jack Black are the nearest thing to a story.

*The Smashing Machine* is the test of what he does without Josh, and the answer is: slower. Dwayne Johnson is unrecognisable and good as Mark Kerr, and Maceo Bishop shoots the bouts from outside the ropes, handheld and half a second late, so we hear the crowd before the knee lands. Scenes begin late and end early, as they always did, and yet nothing hurries. Once the film has established that Kerr is quiet, Dawn (Emily Blunt) is not and the pills are a problem, it spends forty minutes saying so again. *Uncut Gems* never let us sit still; this one asks us to and does not always give a reason.

He has said he wanted to make the most honest sports film. Honest it is, and careful, and Ryan Bader, a fighter rather than an actor, gets the same attention as Kerr. He has shown he can be quiet. We would like the next one to remember how good he was at noise.

## Biography

Benny Safdie is an American filmmaker, actor, writer and editor. He frequently collaborates with his older brother Josh Safdie on independent films including *Heaven Knows What* (2015), *Good Time* (2017) and *Uncut Gems* (2019). He studied at Boston University.

Safdie has acted in several films, appearing as Herbert Simon in *Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.* (2023) and as Edward Teller in *Oppenheimer* (2023). He voiced Bowser Junior in *The Super Mario Galaxy Movie* (2026). He co-created, co-wrote and starred in the television series *The Curse* (2023).

He made his solo directorial debut with *The Smashing Machine* (2025), which he also wrote and edited.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (11)

### Performed in (8) — the average rests on these

- *The Odyssey* (2026), Fi1m 83, as Agamemnon — [page](https://film.one/film/the-odyssey.md)
- *The Super Mario Galaxy Movie* (2026), Fi1m 38, as Bowser Junior (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie.md)
- *Happy Gilmore 2* (2025), Fi1m 52, as Frank Manatee — [page](https://film.one/film/happy-gilmore-2.md)
- *Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.* (2023), Fi1m 75, as Herbert Simon — [page](https://film.one/film/are-you-there-god-its-me-margaret.md)
- *Oppenheimer* (2023), Fi1m 84, as Edward Teller — [page](https://film.one/film/oppenheimer.md)
- *The Curse* (2023), Fi1m 77, as Dougie Schecter — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-curse.md)
- *Licorice Pizza* (2021), Fi1m 80, as Joel Wachs — [page](https://film.one/film/licorice-pizza.md)
- *Pieces of a Woman* (2020), Fi1m 66, as Chris — [page](https://film.one/film/pieces-of-a-woman.md)

### Directed (3)

- *The Smashing Machine* (2025), Fi1m 70, Director, Editor, Co-Producer, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/the-smashing-machine.md)
- *Uncut Gems* (2019), Fi1m 85, Director, Writer, Editor — [page](https://film.one/film/uncut-gems.md)
- *Good Time* (2017), Fi1m 82, as Nick Nikas — [page](https://film.one/film/good-time.md)

## Complete filmography (60)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall* (2026), Executive Producer
- *The Odyssey* (2026), as Agamemnon — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/the-odyssey.md)
- *The Super Mario Galaxy Movie* (2026), as Bowser Junior (voice) — Fi1m 38, [page](https://film.one/film/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie.md)
- *Public Access* (2026), Executive Producer
- *Marty Supreme* (2025), Thanks — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/marty-supreme.md)
- *Noah Britton: The Best Stuff I've Ever Done* (2025), Additional Camera
- *The Smashing Machine* (2025), Director, Screenplay, Co-Producer, Editor — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/the-smashing-machine.md)
- *Happy Gilmore 2* (2025), as Frank Manatee — Fi1m 52, [page](https://film.one/film/happy-gilmore-2.md)
- *Pee-wee as Himself* (2025), series, Executive Producer
- *Thank You Very Much* (2025), Executive Producer
- *Ren Faire* (2024), series, Executive Producer
- *Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God* (2023), series, Executive Producer
- *The Curse* (2023), series, as Dougie Schecter · Executive Producer, Story, Writer, Teleplay, Creator — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-curse.md)
- *Telemarketers* (2023), series, Executive Producer
- *Oppenheimer* (2023), as Edward Teller — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/oppenheimer.md)
- *Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.* (2023), as Herbert Simon — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/film/are-you-there-god-its-me-margaret.md)
- *Stars at Noon* (2022), as CIA Man
- *Funny Pages* (2022), Producer
- *Obi-Wan Kenobi* (2022), series, as Nari
- *Licorice Pizza* (2021), as Joel Wachs — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/licorice-pizza.md)
- *Pieces of a Woman* (2020), as Chris — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/pieces-of-a-woman.md)
- *Question & Answer* (2020), Director, Writer, Editor
- *Goldman v Silverman* (2020), as Al Silverman · Director
- *Uncut Gems* (2019), Director, Writer, Editor — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/uncut-gems.md)
- *Good Time* (2017), as Nick Nikas · Director, Editor, Sound Recordist — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/good-time.md)
- *Person to Person* (2017), as Eugene
- *Toback Vs. Mailer: The Incident* (2016), Director, Editor
- *A Hot Two Weeks: The Making of Heaven Knows What* (2015), Actor
- *Heaven Knows What* (2015), Director, Editor, Sound Recordist, Sound Mixer
- *Gone Tomorrow* (2015), Director
- *Togetherness* (2015), series, as Craddock Brother #2
- *Lenny Cooke* (2013), Director, Editor
- *Solid Gold* (2013), as Goldman · Director
- *Trophy Hunter* (2012), Director, Writer
- *Heartland* (2012), Producer
- *The Black Balloon* (2012), Director, Writer, Sound Recordist, Editor, Casting Director
- *Straight Hustle* (2011), Director, Writer
- *Buttons* (2011), Director, Director of Photography, Editor
- *John's Gone* (2010), as John · Director, Writer, Editor, Producer
- *The Neistat Brothers* (2010), series, as Set Decoration
- *Daddy Longlegs* (2010), Director, Writer, Co-Producer, Editor, Sound Designer
- *The Surprise Tour* (2010), Editor
- *The Pleasure of Being Robbed* (2008), Editor
- *John's Lonely Trip to Coney Island* (2008), Director, Editor
- *There's Nothing You Can Do* (2008), Director, Editor, Writer
- *The Acquaintances of a Lonely John* (2008), as John · Director, Writer, Editor, Producer
- *Yeast* (2008), as Riverguy 2
- *The Story of Charles Riverbank* (2008), as Charles Riverbank · Director, Writer
- *I Think I'm Missing Parts* (2007), Actor
- *The Back of Her Head* (2007), Writer
- *What To Do When Choking* (2007), Director, Editor
- *The Ralph Handel Story* (2006), as Ralph Handel · Director, Editor
- *The Groomsmen* (2006), Production Assistant
- *If You See Something, Say Something* (2006), as Business Man 2 · Writer
- *The Adventures of Slater's Friend* (2005), 1st Cameraman, Director, Writer, Editor
- *Alberto Live in a Bathroom* (2004), as Benny the Salesman
- *Into the Woods with Mark*, Director
- *Lizard Music*, Director, Producer, Screenplay
- *Grown Ups 3*, Actor
- *Superfakes*, series, Executive Producer

## Gallery

- ![Benny Safdie at the NYC Premiere of "The Odyssey" - July 14, 2026](https://film.one/media/person/478/gallery-81e618a35781.jpg) Benny Safdie at the NYC Premiere of "The Odyssey" - July 14, 2026 — PhilipRomano, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/BennySafdie-byPhilipRomano.jpg/1280px-BennySafdie-byPhilipRomano.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Benny Safdie at the NYC Premiere of "The Odyssey" - July 14, 2026](https://film.one/media/person/478/gallery-e044e4b38d8a.jpg) Benny Safdie at the NYC Premiere of "The Odyssey" - July 14, 2026 — PhilipRomano, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/BennySafdie-byPhilipRomano2.jpg/1280px-BennySafdie-byPhilipRomano2.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Director Benny Safdie at the 2025 Venice Film Festival](https://film.one/media/person/478/gallery-78d5dc40bc94.jpg) Director Benny Safdie at the 2025 Venice Film Festival — Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Benny_Safdie-1868.jpg/1280px-Benny_Safdie-1868.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Director Benny Safdie at the 2025 Venice Film Festival](https://film.one/media/person/478/gallery-db1f6cc8111e.jpg) Director Benny Safdie at the 2025 Venice Film Festival — Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Benny_Safdie-1868_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-Benny_Safdie-1868_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Benny Safdie](https://film.one/media/person/478/gallery-7722fa917787.jpg) Benny Safdie — Image via TMDB
- ![Benny Safdie](https://film.one/media/person/478/gallery-3a4c84fe4045.jpg) Benny Safdie — Image via TMDB
- ![Benny Safdie](https://film.one/media/person/478/gallery-90922da75766.jpg) Benny Safdie — Image via TMDB
- ![Director Benny Safdie being interviewed by RealTVFilms during the 2010 Sundance Film Festival](https://film.one/media/person/478/gallery-da223b982c88.png) Director Benny Safdie being interviewed by RealTVFilms during the 2010 Sundance Film Festival — RealTVfilms, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Benny_Safdie_%282010%29.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Benny Safdie at the 63rd annual New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center in 2025 for the film Is This Thing On?](https://film.one/media/person/478/gallery-a324e57751f5.jpg) Benny Safdie at the 63rd annual New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center in 2025 for the film Is This Thing On? — Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Benny_Safdie_Is_This_Thing_On-94.jpg/1280px-Benny_Safdie_Is_This_Thing_On-94.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Benny Safdie](https://film.one/media/person/478/gallery-10f63d789234.jpg) Benny Safdie — Image via TMDB
- ![Benny Safdie](https://film.one/media/person/478/gallery-00c6a9ad00d4.jpg) Benny Safdie — Image via TMDB
- ![Benny Safdie](https://film.one/media/person/478/gallery-0a6b295d6b19.jpg) Benny Safdie — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Other awards — 1 won

- Silver Lion 2025: Silver Lion (won), for *The Smashing Machine*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/benny-safdie