The Pleasure of Being Robbed

can josh safdie to teach me how to drive too

can josh safdie to teach me how to drive too

i wonder whether the polar bear was real

i wonder whether the polar bear was real

Eléonore Hendricks needs to come back in Josh Safdie's next film, she's a natural.

Eléonore Hendricks needs to come back in Josh Safdie's next film, she's a natural.

You can see where it all began for the Safdies in The Pleasure of Being Robbed. Their films consistently center on deeply flawed protagonists—people drifting through escalating, intensely personal situations rooted in everyday life. That through-line can be traced from this film all the way to Daddy Longlegs, Heaven Knows What, and even later projects like The Smashing Machine and Marty Supreme.

What sets this film apart, though, is its tone. It’s lighter—not joyful or comedic exactly—but softer, gentler in a way that’s surprisingly endearing.

It feels as though it’s reaching toward early Sean Baker, but ultimately lands closer to a Miranda July sensibility. It’s quirky and intimate, capturing the chaos of New York—overlapping dialogue, bright lights, constant motion—while still functioning as a quiet, mumblecore character study about a woman trying to escape the monotony of her life. Her methods may be questionable, but Eléonore never feels malicious—just lost, searching for meaning.

Daddy Longlegs may be the stronger film in terms of defining what would later become central to the Safdies’ storytelling, but I found myself enjoying The Pleasure of Being Robbed more. There’s something oddly sweet and deeply optimistic about it that’s lingered with me

You can see where it all began for the Safdies in The Pleasure of Being Robbed. Their films consistently center on deeply flawed protagonists—people drifting through escalating, intensely personal situations rooted in everyday life. That through-line can be traced from this film all the way to Daddy Longlegs, Heaven Knows What, and even later projects like The Smashing Machine and Marty Supreme.

What sets this film apart, though, is its tone. It’s lighter—not joyful or comedic exactly—but softer, gentler in a way that’s surprisingly endearing.

It feels as though it’s reaching toward early Sean Baker, but ultimately lands closer to a Miranda July sensibility. It’s quirky and intimate, capturing the chaos of New York—overlapping dialogue, bright lights, constant motion—while still functioning as a quiet, mumblecore character study about a woman trying to escape the monotony of her life. Her methods may be questionable, but Eléonore never feels malicious—just lost, searching for meaning.

Daddy Longlegs may be the stronger film in terms of defining what would later become central to the Safdies’ storytelling, but I found myself enjoying The Pleasure of Being Robbed more. There’s something oddly sweet and deeply optimistic about it that’s lingered with me

Definitely got better as it went on, or maybe I wasn’t on this film’s wavelength, either way, I dug this one. The film is definitely Sadie’s first, with some very amateur technical aspects, and very poor pacing. Despite these setbacks, I really came to enjoy this films lo-fi nature and characters. One I almost definitely will not be watching again, but I’m glad to have watched this. Excited to go through the Safdie Brothers filmography over the next week or so. High 3 stars.

Definitely got better as it went on, or maybe I wasn’t on this film’s wavelength, either way, I dug this one. The film is definitely Sadie’s first, with some very amateur technical aspects, and very poor pacing. Despite these setbacks, I really came to enjoy this films lo-fi nature and characters. One I almost definitely will not be watching again, but I’m glad to have watched this. Excited to go through the Safdie Brothers filmography over the next week or so. High 3 stars.