When I heard the title of the new film Hustlers I automatically assumed it would be a male-orientated film similar to ocean 11 but this was not the case. Clearly, this is the exact issue the creators of this film are trying to combat. A film about a group of strippers who enter into a life of crime was definitely not what I was expecting and was so much better than I thought it was going to be.
This movie is based on a true story of a group of strippers who end up drugging their ‘clients’ in order to obtain more money for themselves. This film contains many scenes which involve drug use, nudity, strong language and violence which definitely makes it suitable for a more mature audience but due to the casting etc I think it is the type of film a group of women would watch together when hanging out etc. The fantastic thing about this show was that the majority of the cast were women with very few male parts. On top of this, the lead characters were also Asian, black and white which can only benefit representation in movies and helps those watching to feel represented if they fall into any of these categories. Also, this film doesn’t aim to glamorise a life of crime as the criminals are eventually caught at the end of the film. The most amazing things about this film are the fact that it aims to remove some of the stigmas surround the adult entertainment business. These women are all stripped on a bar but the film also shows the women doing everyday domestic tasks which are aiming to show that they are just normal people. There are key scenes were characters state that they are frustrated that stripped are stigmatised and called thefts etc so having a show which aims to remove the stigma can only benefit those in the industry. It aimed to give a much more realistic view of the stripping profession (ignoring the crimes that happen throughout) in order to normalise this career. Structure wise this film alternative between flashbacks to an interview between one of the leading ladies and a journalist which transitioned for each other well and helped create the excitement and drama for the end of the story.
This film was packed full of celebrities which made for a very entertaining watch. For example, there were cameo roles from Lizo, Cardi B and Usher. These characters only appeared for a short while but while they were on screen they were very funny and entertaining to watch. One of the most important celebrity roles was Romoa who was played by Jennifer Lopez. Jennifer played this role excellently and suited the role perfectly. She is very authoritative and looked kind and trustworthy (which was the purpose of her character.) I think Jennifer was fantastic in this role and I hope to see her in more films in the future.
Overall, this was a fun film that is a perfect ’mature girls night’ type of film. It blends comedy and drama beautifully to create a really enjoyable film. While doing its best for the representation of different types of women as well as those in the adult entertainment industry. I would rate this film 4 stars and would recommend it to anyone (of a certain age) who is looking for a film for there next girls night.
Rhysreviews 