Hustlers Review

7 / 10.  An engaging crime drama - better, and different, to what I was expecting *MINOR SPOILERS*

Hustlers is a crime drama film written and directed by Lorene Scafaria, based on New York magazine's 2015 article "The Hustlers at Scores," by Jessica Pressler.

The film starts in 2014, where journalist Elizabeth (Julia Stiles) is working on a big story involving former dancer Dorothy (previously known as Destiny), and her former mentor, Ramona Vega, and their money-making hustle. Hustlers then flashes back to seven years prior, to Destiny is working at Moves club as an exotic dancer in New York City struggling to make ends meet. Ramona, the club’s top money earner, takes Destiny under her wing and shows her the ropes (and poles).

A year later, the financial crisis of 2007–2008 strikes, and both women find themselves out of a job and lose contact with each other. She reunites with Ramona and they form a crew with other dancers, Mercedes and Annabelle, to create a lucrative business - stealing money and credit cards by drugging Wall Street stock traders who visit their club.

Hustlers isn’t the type of film I would usually review, but I gave it a whirl and it was better, and different, to what I was expecting. It’s an engaging crime drama with a great ensemble cast (Constance Wu as Destiny, Lili Reinhart as Annabelle and Keke Palmer as Mercedes) the characters are fleshed out and they are a believable set of friends. Thick as thieves, if you will.

The media sensationalism around the film was mainly about Jennifer Lopez and co. doing some pole dancing - it’s about much more than that (JLo’s scene doing just that though, is amazing).  The adult club scenes are a small part of the story (with brief cameos from Cardi B and Lizzo).  

Lopez has never been a bad actor per se, she just hasn’t had the right vehicle. In Hustlers she shines in the athletic department and portrays warmth and charisma in the flawed, manipulative character of Ramona.  

In many films, the character’s reasons for their actions aren’t always provided fully, but here they are, in a way that shows the contrasting views on their different lives and motivations for what transpires – and all is inspired by a true story. The line between right and wrong is thin, and the fact is - everybody’s hustling in their own way.