Working as a stripper to make ends meet, Destiny's life changes forever when she becomes friends with Ramona -- the club's top money earner. Ramona soon shows Destiny how to finagle her way around the wealthy Wall street clientele who frequent the club. But when the 2008 economic collapse cuts into their profits, the gals and two other dancers devise a daring scheme to take their lives back.
Director: Lorene Scafaria
Cast: Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Lizzo, Cardi B
Release Date: September 13, 2019
Comedy, Crime, Drama
Rated R for pervasive sexual material, drug content, language and nudity
Runtime: 1 h 50 min
Review:
Hustlers is a surprisingly engaging film mixed with a strong undercurrent of feminism and female friendship. Lorene Scafaria has crafted a film that’s funnier than it is dramatic at any point. You can’t help but feel that there’s probably a deeper story in there somewhere and we only get to know the characters on their most basic levels. Still, it’s entertaining easy flowing film that’s more fun than it deserves to be. Scafaria keeps the action moving at a steady pace never lingering too much on anything in particular, this makes some of the more superficial aspects of film brush off easier. Constance Wu carries the film with ease while showing off a hefty bit of range as she goes all in with her character. Her character isn’t the showiest role in the film but it’s the heart and soul of the film. Jennifer Lopez does solid work here even though you get the distinct feeling that she’s just playing a version of her own personality in real life with a stronger tan. Keke Palmer and Lili Reinhart are fun in supporting roles, unfortunately Julia Stiles is sadly underused. Hustlers is the kind of crime dramedy just fun even if it’s not particularly deep.
B
