'Hustlers' Movie Reviews: Critics Are Already Calling It the Movie of the Year
If Hustlers arrived in theaters to lukewarm reviews, I’d probably still see it. After all, it’s based on a true story that’s inherently cinematic: A tale of New York City strippers who swindle Wall Street men out of their money after falling on hard times in the 2008 recession. On top of that, it features powerful leading women including Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Cardi B, Lizzo, and Lili Reinhart in the cast.
Early reviews are putting any doubts about Hustlers‘s merit to rest. Critics don’t think Hustlers is merely “good”—they think it’s already an Oscars contender. Hustlers premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to rapturous reviews. Over on Twitter, #Hustlers was trending on Sunday, September 8, with hundreds of resoundingly positive comments. Ahead of its wide release in theaters, it has a 92% approval rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
Much of the praise for Hustlers is dedicated to Jennifer Lopez, who fronts the film as the ringleader Ramona. In fact, some reviewers say she could likely be in the running for her first Academy Award. Frankly, it’s thrilling to see a criminally underrated performer get her due from prestige film outlets. (Super Bowl planners, I hope you’ll finally give her that rumored half time show after this.)
Plus, early reviews suggest that Hustlers expertly examines the nuances of stripping as a profession. The women in the film aren’t one-dimensional objects dancing for patrons at a club: They’re entrepreneurs, parents, friends, and fully-realized women trying to make the most of their line of work. Much of that distinction was made possible by director Lorene Scarfaria, who adapted the film’s script from the New York story it’s based off of and hired consultants to advise on the film.
Hustlers wasn’t made in a vacuum; it’s the latest movie in a string of standout projects that are led and performed by women. And we need more women-led success stories like it in Hollywood. Women account for 51% of moviegoers, yet they’re 4% of directors and 15% of writers in the entire industry. In a world where some studios hold onto the belief that women can’t lead critical darlings or box office successes, it’s thrilling to see critics lending their support to a movie without a single leading man.