HUSTLERS is an eye-opening tale inspired by a true story of how four strip club employees risked it all for a Wall Street gain. Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Lili Reinhart, and KeKe Palmer showcase how a true hustle mentality is developed from beginning to end with some bad girl juice criminally intertwined.
There is one theme that resonates with me most throughout the entirety of this film, and that is the idea that women are providers. When we are unable to care for ourselves and/or our families we will do whatever it takes, and that may include subjecting ourselves to the world of strip clubs to make some money.
With the opening scene of Janet Jackson’s 1986 hit record, “Control” playing in the background as Destiny (Constance Wu) prepares to enter the lifestyle, the music gives you a nostalgic appeal for how out of control life can get. The epic meeting between Destiny and Ramona (Jennifer Lopez) creates an unspoken sisterhood that is often tested to the point of no return.
Ramona has the reputation for keeping her composure at all times and she kills it hands down till the credits roll. Known as one of the most popular dancers at the strip club, Ramona chooses a crew that soon realizes those who find their way to the top often don’t know how to recover when they fall to the ground. The resilience of these characters will carry you to some wild adventures, to say the least.
Nevertheless, we are reminded that most of these women are mothers and HUSTLERS humanizes this aspect tremendously. Ramona emphasizes with the heart that, “Motherhood is a mental illness” and it is truly understood the depths one must take to keep moving forward with children in tow.
Mercedes (Keke Palmer) is hilarious and her personality radiates perfectly during the film. Annabelle (Lili Reinhart) gives you a girl next door persona until her nerves get the best of her.
Overall this film will make you appreciate the importance of relationships and how bonds can form and easily be broken. Sex, drugs, and heartless souls reign supreme in this drama that is sure to have your local city talking for days on end.
HUSTLERS premieres in theaters Friday, September 13, 2019, and is Rated R. HUSTLERS follows a crew of savvy former strip club employees who band together to turn the tables on their Wall Street clients. The film was inspired by the article published by New York Magazine entitled “The Hustlers at Scores” written by Jessica Pressler.
