HUSTLERS (2019) Reviews

The Jessica Pressler penned true-life Robin Hood tale centers on a crew of former strip club employees who turn tables on their Wall Street clientele. Lopez is set to play the ringleader of the group of ambitious women who take their plans of getting their full cut too far. The film takes place in the late aughts of New York City in the wake of the financial crisis and explores the toll it took on the livelihood of the dancers who relied on their Wall Street clients.
Megan Ellison, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay will produce the adaptation of NY Mag's true Robin Hood tale centered around a crew of former strippers.

Release date: September 13, 2019
Studio: STX Films
Director: Lorene Scafaria
MPAA Rating: R
Screenwriters: Lorene Scafaria
Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Cardi B, Lili Reinhart, Keke Palmer, Julia Stiles
Genre: Drama, Comedy

The world became a darker place between 2008 and 2011. Those were the years between my college graduation and my wedding day. I remember the crash of 2008 like it was yesterday, because it was the same year I graduated from college. Simply put, there were no jobs. My degree meant nothing to employers. What they looked for were experience and connections. No one cared about me, except how much money I could bring to the table. What got me through were two people: my father and my dear friend who would become my husband. Without those two undeniable support systems in my life, I may not have survived.

Hustlers serve as a bracing reminder of that dark time, illustrating a brutal dog-eat-dog world. Lives were destroyed. The story revolves around four former strippers who target wealthy men that profit off the economy crash, drug them, and clean out their bank accounts. They call it justice. They call it karma. They say anything they can to justify victimizing these unsuspecting targets. At the end of the day, it is fraud, theft, and assault. Period.

There is no justice in the actions of these four women. These women fancy themselves modern-day Robin Hoods. Yet, they don’t give back. They don’t give to charity. They don’t help the other people destroyed by the crash. They don’t set up savings or invest in higher education. They instead spend the ill-gotten gains faster than they can steal it: designer clothes and accessories, over-priced cars, and lavish homes. They don’t care about others in need any more than they care about the men upon whom they prey. All they care about is money.

Matthew 6:19-20 says, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.” (NLT)

Predators never care about others.

To this day, I’m still picking up the pieces of my financial destruction during those dark times. Meanwhile, the person that victimized me continues to flaunt her materialistic lifestyle buying obscenely large flat-screen televisions and planning to mortgage a brand new house fresh on the market. That’s life, I suppose.

Eat or be eaten.

The world has done a fantastic job chewing me up and spitting me out. Let it. I have integrity and faith. I know who my friends are. My salvation is secure. Most importantly, I know my calling, and I value my education. There is nothing any of my predators can say that will convince me otherwise.

Sadly, Destiny never knows the comfort of a real friend and a true support system. She spends the early part of her life stripping just to get by. She never knows the love of a mother or father. Ramona claims to be her family (her mama), but she is nothing but a user. Destiny’s emotional need for a mother figure sets her up to be Ramona’s prime target. Because she doesn’t understand love, she doesn’t know any better. She never learns.

So, what happens when the money dries up? Strip it all away and what remains? Ramona is left with a single wallet with four sentimental pieces of her past, no friends, and a heart filled with regret. Most people have a tragic story to tell following the crash of 2008. What’s yours? Were you a predator, a victim, or a support system? What more can we do to help one another the next time darkness shrouds our lives?