Think Wolf of Wall Street, but in a nightclub. 

Hustlers, a comedy/crime film directed by Lorene Scafaria, shows Constance Wu’s character tell a reporter the events that occurred in the late 2000s that led to her and a group of her fellow nightclub workers, led by Jennifer Lopez, to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from high-ranking Wall Street executives in a Robin Hood-esque story. 

Going into this movie, I only knew that Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B, and Lizzo were main characters in it. Given past experiences with films that casted non-acting celebrities in lead roles, I did not have high hopes for this movie. Luckily, it completely surpassed my expectations. 

In a sentence I never thought I’d say about a movie, Jennifer Lopez was really the star of the show. She pulled off the character of a complex crime-mother that just looks out for those below her while maximizing profits. I would not be surprised if she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress this February. Also of note was the amazing performance given by Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians).

This story is based on true events, it really keeps it grounded and separate, while still allowing for creative liberties to be taken. For example, one thing that really caught me off-guard was that since the story was being told to a reporter, the conversation was recorded. But, when Constance Wu’s character cut off the interview and forced the recorder off, the sound cut out for the scene.

The audience was unable to hear the conversation because it wasn’t a part of the report. The sound picks back up when Wu’s character calls the reporter later, but the narration has a phone call-like effect to it, reminding the viewer that this is still just the retelling of events.

Little details such as that show that care was put into making this movie as accurate and realistic as possible, and not just another cliche crime film.

Overall, I would give this film an 8 out of 10 stars. It’s definitely in my top 10 films of 2019 so far. I would totally recommend going to see this film with friends or catching it on streaming when it’s available.