User reviews

I've seen this film getting constant hate before it's release and I honestly did not understand why and upon watching it for myself, I really don't understand. Hustlers is one of the most surprising films of the year with an intriguing true story and stellar performances with a possible career best performance from Jennifer Lopez.

The film follows a group of strippers as they hustler their way to the top to get back at Wall Street men that frequent their club as they try to make their lives better. It's a simple story, there's nothing particularly flashy about it and that's what works about it.

Hustlers settles for something interesting, but never goes into the gritty details and that's perfectly fine. It's just trying to have a lot of fun with itself and that is brought out by these performances. Constance Wu continues her great work in this film and truly is the heart of the film and her friendship with Jennifer Lopez's character is phenomenal. Speaking of Lopez she is excellent in this film. She gives an unhinged performance that only she could have pulled off in this way.

The film manages to be fun and enjoyable while also touching on ideas of poverty and the 99%. It's never super deep, but it doesn't seem to be going for that. It's unhinged at times and can be a funny film as well. It just manages to work and flow into a very entertaining ride.

After seeing some of the big praise the film has had including talks of Oscar nominations for Lopez I expected a lot lot more from the film. It was still ok but reasonably good rather than anything exceptional with multiple flaws.

"Hustlers" (2019 release; 110 min.) is "Inspired By a True Story", we are reminded at the beginning. As the movie opens, it is "2007" and an Asian-American girl named Dorothy is getting ready for work at a strip club. Then a Latina woman named Ramona makes her grand entrance and does a spectacular pole dance as Fiona Apple's "Criminal" blasts from the speakers. Duly impressed, Dorothy reaches out to Ramona for some dancing tips, and the two hit it off. We then go to "2014" where we see Dorothy being interviewed by a journalist... At this point we are 10 min. into the movie, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the latest movie from writer-director Lorene Scafaria, whose "Seeking a Friend For the End of the World" some years ago was one of my favorite movies of that year. Here she takes a New York magazine article and turns it into a wild, wild movie. Beware: not much is left to the imagination. The grand entrance of Jennifer Lopez in that opening scene's pole dance is nothing short of stunning. In fact, the same can be said about Lopez's overall performance, which should be Oscar nomination-worthy, and certainly is a career-best performance. Lopez turned 50 this year, and looks about 35. She takes control of the movie, and requests, makes that demands, your attention. You are more than happy to give it to her. Constance Wu, Keke Palmer, and Lili Reinhardt round out the primary performers. Check out Cardi B and Lizzo (part of the strip gang). When a movie's principal set is a strip club, you can expect a lot of fist-pumping music, and the movie more than delivers on that level. In addition to the aforementioned Fiona, there are songs from Britney Spears, Janet Jackson ("Control", of course), Fat Joe, Queen She, 50 Cent, and many, many more.

"Hustlers" premiered a few weeks ago at the Toronto International Film Festival to immediate acclaim, and was released wide last weekend (outperforming expectations at the box office). The Saturday matinee screening where I saw this at here in Cincinnati in its second weekend of release was attended very nicely (a good 30 people in a small room). If you have an interest in seeing a gritty yet funny stripper drama starring an Oscar nomination-worthy Jennifer Lopez, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.

It really feels like many of the negative reviews expected a female version of Magic Mike or something like that. I feel like many of them missed the point.

This is a story about a crime ring formed by strippers who have had it with the Wall Street bros who come in and take advantage of them. It's about how for many women, stripping is a form power they can hold over the men who have controlled many aspects of their lives. It's also about taking desperate measures when there are no better alternatives.

I enjoyed this movie, and thought the cast did a great job.

After I have watched the movie without watching trailer , which means i have no expectation of this movie. Although the story might be too weak , the actress have did quite well. I would give it 8 out of ten if they made the story more decent. The story also present the life of prostitutes like how they start the work and why they come back to this kind of work even they have got a lot of money. Plus, also the repercussion of doing something illegally.

Ps. Trust me this movie was not bad at all.

I started watching this by accident & was so shocked by how much I liked it. Jennifer Lopez is amazing & sexy! Would give it a try.

I don't understand the reviews on this site. This movie is definitely not a 1. I came out of the cinema loving it.

At no point during did I feel like the main players were hero's, but neither were they villains. And I feel like that was the point. You were meant to feel uncomfortable with the decisions they made. It's not a movie about girl power. It's about these women reacting to the circumstances they were put in.

The great thing about it is that it is solely focused on the women and their stories. All the men in the movie are background pieces. They are there to play a specific role but that's all, they don't particularly matter except for what they add to the women. For me, that is what is "girl power".

Tables (and poles) well and truly turned with not altogether unpredictable consequences.

Given that I read the article written by Jessica Pressler and seen the 20/20 The Hustler documentary, the movie left me unfilled. By any means not saying what these women did was right but three women hustling rich Wall Street men out of their money was fascinating but the way this movie was told was too hollywood. Here's what I thought was missing and didn't make sense. The 20/20 documentary gave me more insight than the movie. I had more respect for these women. They were like the wolf on Wall Street, three women hustling Wall Street men out of their credit cards. But watching the movie I didn't see that. There were good laughs here and there but I walked away without a complete story. This movie had too many big names and wasn't focusing on the storytelling. If this film had did more research and took more time, this could have been bigger than wolf on Wall Street. Their story was in a continuous loop of the crime rather than getting to the root of why it really started in the first place. Working at gentleman's club is not all glamours and these women don't go after their money because of the stock market crash. This film did not have a lot substance for me to want to see again. Second movie JLo has produce that I was disappointed.

When you're watching a movie about bad people doing bad things (gangster movies, financial crime pictures etc.) its naturally hard to sympathize with the characters. The movie has to do the extra work so you can picture walking in their shoes so you can see why the characters are doing what they're doing. My blueprint for accomplishing this (or the best template to follow) is the Martin Scorsese comedy The Wolf of Wall Street. Jordan Belfort (the protagonist played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and his buddy are TERRIBLE human beings, they're criminals, they're bigots and sexists and they don't care whose lives their ruining to get what they want (bigger parties, more women and most of all more money). But the ride is so crazy and watching them just splurge on anything and everything, its so fun that you let go of your morality just to join them on this journey. This is something that Hustlers manages to do and if this hadn't been accomplished, the movie would have dropped like a stone. The actions of Ramona (Jennifer Lopez), Destiny (Constance Wu) and their partners in crime are awful, sure their victims are @$$holes, but they're still drugging them, stealing all of their money then using their positions as strippers to shame them into not reporting them. If the genders were switched, this would be a horror movie. Luckily, the camaraderie between the girls is so strong and its so fun to watch them enjoy the fruits of their labours, you can put the morality of their actions aside and just follow them. I enjoyed watching this movie just for the performances and the vibe it exudes with these women pulling one over on "The Man."

I try to never count actors or actresses out, you never know if they're going to get that rebound role that suits their talents or if they just haven't been pitched on that movie that will make their career. Maybe they're taking gigs just for the paycheque? For example, I really disliked Robert Pattison and then I saw him in Water for Elephants and The Lost City of Z and I realized that maybe he wasn't a hack after all. Jennifer Lopez is another performer who falls in this category for me. She's always been beautiful but I've never liked her work as an actress or as a singer. Hustlers was that movie that changed my mind about her. The movie highlights how stunning she is but I thought her performance in this was excellent. She commanded the screen, she exuded power and confidence whenever the camera was on her and she made you want to believe in Ramona even after she turned the corner. She also had really good chemistry with Wu and the rest of the cast. I applaud her for her work here, I don't know if she'll win an Oscar but this is the best work I've seen from her and I wouldn't be surprised if there's some award recognition her future.

This is not to sell Wu short either, this is a big departure from Crazy Rich Asians and Hustlers shows she has a lot of range. I already mentioned that Lopez and her work well together butWu helps carry the viewer through this wild ride. She manages to be funny but she also digs deep in the more serious moments. This is solid work for sure. The supporting cast was really good across the board. I want to credit Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Julia Stiles (who is good but very low key) and Mercedes Ruehl for performing capably and they all had their moments. The only one I'll single out is Cardi B, she isn't bad but she's playing it up really hard and she could have toned it down just a little.

This movie does have some minor hurdles to get over. The first is the aforementioned morality problem which the movie both addresses but also sweeps under the rug. I didn't have a problem with it but it is a present issue. The next is that if you take a step back and look at the arc of the plot, this is also the generic rise and fall gangster story. Its filmed beautifully and its a lot of fun, but if you need something wholly original, this movie doesn't cut it. My final point is that they really rush the segment where the girls get their comeuppance. The movie ends like someone skimming the last few pages and then slams the book shut. I don't know if they thought it was running long and they needed to wrap it up or if that just wasn't the focus but it ends pretty abruptly.

I enjoyed this more than I expected to. I did get to the movie 5-10 minutes late, I saw this with a friend and we entered right when JLO was doing her first dance (it was an awkward moment to enter when you're seeing this with a female friend). It does follow the same beats as a lot of other stories but I credit director Lorene Scafaria and her creative team for finding a new angle on this type of story and the cinematography is noteworthy for a movie that just takes place in the city. Hustlers isn't flawless but it more than does enough to get the job done. If the subject matter doesn't make you squeamish (which it shouldn't... maybe don't watch this with the kids though) check it out on your preferred streaming service. I would tell you to see it in the theatre but I'm late getting this review up and its probably gone by now.

Fair or not, Hustlers is very much Goodfellas with strippers, but that's not a criticism necessarily, but more of just a comment on the structure and tone of the story. When following main characters that are criminals, more often than not the film shows the rise and fall, and Hustlers is no different as the rise is far more captivating than the latter. I haven't seen a ton of Jennifer Lopez performances, but Hustlers is far and away the best she's ever been. The sequence on the pole that everyone is talking about just goes to show you how impressive she can be as a presence without saying many lines. Is she good enough to warrant a nomination? I'm not sure about that, but it's worth the discussion. The bottom line being that Hustlers is a story that should be told and I'm thrilled it was.

7.5/10

I have to put my hands up and say as a 50 year old man, in hindsight, maybe I was completely the wrong demographic for this film although the trailers didn't lead me to think that.

The film has very little story and no twists, in fact if you saw the trailer then you just about have it. There is little depth to the characters and some of the scenes are just ridiculous.

If you love a scene where girls walk towards the camera in slow motion and perfect synchronicity, then you in for a treat, it happens about 10 times!

Crafted with passion, told with compassion & exhibiting a finer understanding of the subject matter to catapult itself above its counterparts and into the spotlight, Hustlers brims with an infectious charm & unbridled energy that makes it a fun & entertaining delight, and earns huge tips on the strength of its charismatic ladies.

Written & directed by Lorene Scafaria, the film is as flashy & fleshy as one expects it to be but there is also an emotional sincerity to it that adds depth & richness to both its plot & characters. There's a whole lot of stripteasing in here yet all of it is captured in a manner that advances their arcs while strengthening the sisterhood bond they share.

Looking past the skimpy dress & erotic moves, Scafaria shows these women as no different from employees in any other profession, all trying to make a living. Also, the premise of them robbing the people who caused the global financial collapse is one that makes it easy for us to invest in their schemes, however it isn't allowed to continue without repercussions.

Another aspect that stands out is the ideal chemistry between the leading ladies, for it's got an authentic vibe to it that makes them believable as a crew, and their collective interactions are very interesting as well. Jennifer Lopes steals the show with a strong, sensual & scintillating career-best performance that towers above all while Constance Wu does enough to hold her own.

On an overall scale, Hustlers takes its viewers on a backstage tour of strip clubs & all that unfolds there, and also attempts to dismantle the stereotypes society has regarding strippers. Though there are times when the film gets repetitive, Lorene Scafaria's confident direction, Jennifer Lopez's charismatic rendition, and its teasing, invigorating & boisterous aura makes Hustlers a thoroughly entertaining delight that none should miss.

J-Lo was amazing in this role, as was Constance Wu, but novice writer and director Lorene Scafaria did an ok job directing, but the screenplay was garbage, with many plot and technical issues, especially towards the end. The pacing was too slow for the story, and the 110 min run-time felt like 3 hours. And the abrupt scene cuts by editor Kayla Emter... a kindergartener with plastic scissors could've done a better job. Aside from this being based on real events and (surprisingly also cast) Cardi B's acknowledgement she's done this, I do agree that this "girl power" garbage has got out of hand. I wasn't impressed with all the gal's playing victims and none of the men they robbed weren't. Clearly a one sided opinion coming from an entirely all-female production. That alone lost points from me. This film is not even close to the fake 10's - it's barely at best a 7/10, but also not worthy of all the 1's and 2's (production value alone is at least a 4). It's an honest 6/10 from me, most points for the leads performances.

Just for the part from 6-8 minutes in the movie, I will be more than glad to purchase it. I've never said "oh my god" so many times consecutively, or had my jaw literally dropped, wide open, in amazement. In fact, I watched it twice. Then HAD to come here and share. I may even watch it again when after I write this. I know its completely shallow and I have no shame. I might even chop that part out and have it continuously playing on my phone as a live wallpaper. Just when i had forgotten my boyhood crush on her... BAM!! MY GOD, Jennifer!! You're STILL a goddess among women! The world is a better place with this video in it.

Hustlers Review:

Inspired by the viral New York Magazine article, Hustlers follows a crew of savvy former strip club employees who band together to turn the tables on their Wall Street clients. Honestly I thought this movie looked bad when I first saw the trailer. I had no plans of seeing it until it premiered at TIFF. I was shocked to see the raving reviews. It sort of reminded me of Crazy Rich Asians. I thought basically the same thing with both. It's not as bad as I thought it would be and I enjoyed it. However I don't think this deserves as great of reviews as it has (currently 88% on Rotten Tomatoes). The acting is where it shines. Especially with Jennifer Lopez. This is my favorite performance by her and probably her best ever. I liked her best in the first act which was my least favorite act, but I'll get to that later. People want her to get nominated for an Oscar or Golden Globe for her performance. I doubt it will happen just because I think there will be better ones out there to compete with. The other performance that I don't think is getting the recognition she deserves is Constance Wu. As a lead I thought she did very well. Once again not a rememberable performance for award season. She earned a Globe nomination for Crazy Rich Asians and I think she has grown as an actress since that. The other performances were fine in the movie. There were actresses and cameos (Cardi B, Lizzo, and Usher) that I thought were unnecessary and added nothing really. The Usher cameo didn't even actually happen from what I've read from the article. Going onto the screenplay, I thought the first act was fine. It was enjoyable to watch but not much was happening. Act two begins with the 2008 stock market crash and how that affected their lives since they relied on Wall Street clients. I liked that and that's where I felt more development with the characters. The only character I actually cared about throughout the movie was Constance Wu's. The others I tried but couldn't. Now things got interesting when they started drugging the Wall Street clients and stealing their money. It was interesting the first few times but it got very repetitive since those scenes all followed the same setup, like same shots and setting and everything. It kind of suffered from repetitiveness. Something I liked was how we're seeing the story from their perspective even though it's terrible what they're doing. It's a little hard to empathize with them because of that but then I thought about The Wolf of Wall Street and how some Wall Street men maybe are criminals as well. So it was just interesting because there's no side to really take side with until the third act with one incident. I liked the very end last minute or so. It was just a sequence that brought some feeling to it. The runtime is about two hours and I think they could've cut it down a little. Technically there's some good cinematography and some cool sequences with production. Some of the elaborate fancy costumes were cool as well. Overall I think it's a good movie. It suffered most with screenplay which I can understand. It's kind of a complicated story to tell. It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea. It's hard to recommend so I'm just going to say if you think this is your type of movie go and see it.

My Grade: B

Lorene Scafaria absolutely kills it. Hustlers is a well written, tremendously directed film. The co-leads in Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians) and Jennifer Lopez (Jenny from the block...) act their asses off. For a $20 million production this film looks huge and glossy. It's everything you want your trip to the movies to be. Worth the price of admission and engaging enough to justify the large coke and popcorn.

I felt like for a portion of the film that some characters were forgotten about. They felt key to the character's motivations but went missing. These threads were picked up again however and it resolved my biggest gripe. The cast is quite large especially during the films first act. More and more cast members are added as the film progresses and the initial ensemble is made redundant by the plot. The girls were so charming at the start that I wish they'd found their way back into the story. This isn't a criticism so much as a wish for more of a good thing.

My experience seeing this movie was my main takeaway. I'm a self-professed film geek. Often when I head to the pictures I'm flying solo because my One Sixty cohort Shane is busy or finding like minded film fans is hard to come by where live. It's not uncommon to see a few other guys watching the film by themselves as well. What I saw during Hustlers was sort of unprecedented out in the 'burbs where I live (at least in my experience). I saw many women, by themselves, in the cinema seeking this film. Young and old alike.

It's no great mystery that movies are made, at least marketed, with men/boys in mind. Great inroads have been made in changing the opinion that they are solely for men and Hustlers seems like a huge leap forward in defeating this stigma. Whilst I was watching the movie the sense that this movie wasn't trying to appeal to my more basic man-brain became increasingly apparent. The movie wasn't exploitive of its female cast. It told the story as it was, it didn't fantasise.

I felt refreshed seeing a movie that I wasn't the target audience for. Seeing a movie that could easily have fallen into the trappings of becoming a male fantasy movie. Instead it was a female story. Told as it was. I am absolutely here for more mature movies that aren't just about the white male experience. As his history shows in order for anything to survive becoming stagnated it need diversity. We need more stories from more people. We need more stories from Lorene Scafaria.

A film about greed, told with grace:

4/5 Stars

Didn't catch my attention through the whole film. Beginning was decent though it struggled through the middle. Can't believe they are nominated for an Oscar

Tortuously boring and pointless movie. Although movie is less than 2 hours long - it felt like at least 3.5 hours. Unless you are going just to see barely dressed Jeniffer Lopez - do yourself a favor and skip it.

Great movie portraying the life of strippers in the late 2000s/early 2010s in the wake of the Great Recession. Post Recession, wall street clients were becoming scarce, and their payouts were becoming meager. Solely dancing wasn't cutting it anymore. The girls were forced to get creative so they began engaging in some risky behavior with their wall street clientele. I loved how they used different music from the late 2000s, older cell phones, and purchased 2000s- esque bags and cars to take you back to that time and really make you feel like the movie was taking place during those years. Constance Wu and Jennifer Lopez absolutely crushed it. Cardi B and Lizzo made small appearances as well. I've heard from many that Cardi should have played Jennifer's part. I don't think she has the acting capability and classy-yet- aggressive swagger that JLo has in order to play the part of the ring leader. I found her to be an unnecessary addition to the film; her acting was irritating and exaggerated. Overall, I was absolutely mesmerized by the film, from the intricate dancing the music, and the emotion of the actresses. Great film.

The movie spins around daughters, mothers and grandmothers. Men in here are only a brief addition - not real people: ATM's, ridiculed not only by women but also by other men. And the women are glorious; cheap even when rich, yet beautiful and full of warmth. The movie sometimes get off the tracks, narration is not always as good, unsure if it should be a comedy or a drama, but it does holds its ground. Not a must watch, but for sure an entertaining story. And it's a great pleasure to watch Jennifer Lopez and her amazing body, that's for sure.

We went to this movie with another couple and they are huge jlo fans. Half way thru a handful of people walked out and I wish I could have gone with them but stayed with our company. Even from a guys perspective the move was no good. The movie had its ups but way more downs. The main characters did do a good job but overall they could have hacked off an half hour

Jennifer Lopez was amazingly on it. The plot was good and the pace was ok since was a story telling kind of thing. The score was too loud and sometimes a little disconnected and nonsense, however the soundtrack was incredible and pinpointed perfectly the years transition. Great movie.