If you haven't heard of the blockbuster hit, Hustler is a movie based on a true story of a group of strippers who drugged and stole from their Wall Street male clients during the 2008 economic crisis as a way to survive. Their story came known to the public in 2015 The Cut article titled "The Hustlers at Scores". This movie is filled with big names like Constance Wu, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinheart, and Jennifer Lopez. Not to mention Cardi B and Lizzo make appearances in the movies. With a star-studded cast and an amazing concept, this movie is sure to capture moviegoers everywhere. However, once you leave the theater, you may realize there's a lot more to this movie than you thought. Hustlers is a movie with a lot more than golden stars and great dance sequences. It's a depiction of hardship, love, family, and crime. In other words, a game-charger.
Disclaimer: This is a review so...SPOILER ALERT!
The first point to be made is regarding the women in the film. I mean the entire main cast. In many American movies, it's always great to have strong female representation, but I can't lie that it is sometimes hard to find. Hustlers is different. In many cult classics female representation includes catty rivalries and superficial motives, while here, Constance Wu's Destinnee (the protagonist) and Jennifer Lopez's Ramona display a family-like relationship. When the pair team up, even before the crimes begin, they are a force to be reckoned with. They not only made enough to support their families, they made enough to support themselves - starting businesses and going to school. It's the girl boss attitude we all wished we had (without committing crimes).
Then, there's a type of development seen in the movie. In the beginning, women like Destinnee fall victim to sleazy and greedy men that keeping wanting more of her and her money. This is a clear demonstration of workplace harassment and even though the methods were criminal, "hustling" was taking back their power from the men who run the system. These women used the same charm and seduction that men profited off for themselves and in terms, game the system. The female characters in this movie demonstrate a range of personalities. From the strong and powerful leaders to the comedic relief. This movie shows that, surprise, WOMEN ARE HUMAN!
The second point to be made about Hustlers is one I didn't think I'd find. We've already covered the female bosses that lead the story, and that's not the only part. In many American films, there's the stereotypical female and male roles. The women tend to be side characters, only focused on male attention, while the male characters tend to foster development and have cunning traits. That is revered in this movie. We see Ramona and Destinnee head up a crime ring in which they were the masterminds behind tricking and stealing from their male clients.
This demonstrates a role reversal not only in the view of who's the dominant character, but also in the treatment of supporting characters. In the movie, when one of the male victims calls the police, they are treated like they didn't know what they were doing, like they couldn't handle it. It is something to be said that in this scene, the police officers didn't believe a woman was capable of something as devious and cunning as they did. They also couldn't believe that men could be victims. It's a demonstration of a type of stigma not only on stereotypical genders on the female side of the spectrum, but on the male side as well. Not only that but Ramona and Destinnee are mothers and are the breadwinners supporting their families. It's a real shoutout to how society tends to categorize stereotypical binary gender systems and how that limits us.
Lastly, and probably most importantly, Hustlers has to do with strippers. Hollywood has seen a lot of changes in its culture. The rise of the #MeToo movement, the addition of diversity in roles when it comes to not just different races, but body types, abilities, and sexualities. Hustlers is no exception. Lorene Scafaria is the writer, director, and lead, not only a female lead cast, but also in a female lead crew. This is a big win because this translated into the complex narratives of each of the characters. Yes, this is a true story. And the beauty behind that the integrity was kept in the movie. It's a pure representation of storytelling that hasn't been seen much in modern Hollywood.
Hustlers is a game-changer in Hollywood and in the media as a whole. It's taking a story that would otherwise be looked upon as nothing, to a story that makes us question our cultural norms.
