“Hustlers” is a 2019 crime comedy-drama directed and written by Lorene Scafaria. The film follows a crew of New York City strippers who turn to theft after the financial crisis leaves them short of cash. Jennifer Lopez stars as Ramona Vega, a veteran stripper who recruits her protégés into a scheme that drugs wealthy Wall Street clients and charges their credit cards to the limit. The cast also includes Constance Wu, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Julia Stiles, Cardi B and Lizzo.
The film is based on a 2015 New York magazine article titled “The Hustlers at Scores” by Jessica Pressler. It received positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for Lopez’s performance. The movie grossed $157.6 million worldwide against a budget of $20.7 million.
Trailer, via STXfilms.
The Scheme at Moves
The plot centers on Destiny, played by Constance Wu, who works at Moves, a strip club in New York. In 2014, she is invited for an interview with Elizabeth, a journalist writing about her former friend and mentor, Ramona Vega. Seven years earlier, Destiny barely makes ends meet while supporting her grandmother. Ramona, a veteran performer at the club, takes her under her wing and teaches her the trade.
The 2008 financial crisis hits the club hard. Destiny becomes pregnant, kicks her boyfriend out after their daughter’s birth, and moves back into her grandmother’s home. The club’s staff shifts to immigrant women willing to perform sex acts for money, a line Destiny is unwilling to cross in a moment of desperation. She reconnects with Ramona, who introduces her to a new scheme.
Ramona, Mercedes and Annabelle target wealthy men at bars, get them drunk, and escort them to Moves. There, the girls steal their credit card numbers and charge them to the limit. Ramona uses a mix of ketamine and MDMA to impair judgment and cause memory loss in their targets. The victims rarely admit to being robbed by strippers, making the scheme worthwhile.
Lopez’s Performance
Jennifer Lopez plays Ramona with a commanding presence. She is the scheme’s architect, the recruiter and the moral center of the group. Lopez began pole dance training with professional dancer and choreographer Johanna Sapakie two and a half months before filming, preparing for a scene where she performs a major solo pole dance routine without a professional stand-in.
Lopez’s reading of the character is confident and forceful. She makes Ramona a figure of authority even when she is breaking the law. The film gives her plenty of room to deliver long stretches of dialogue, and she handles it with a sharpness that keeps the story moving.
The Supporting Cast
Constance Wu’s performance as Destiny is the emotional core of the film. She plays a woman who is desperate, then wealthy, then desperate again. The arc between her two states is the engine of the story. Wu finds the right balance between vulnerability and steel.
Keke Palmer and Lili Reinhart round out the trio of protégés. Palmer plays Mercedes, and Reinhart plays Annabelle. Both actors bring their own energy to the group. Palmer’s character carries a streak of aggression that makes her scenes tense, while Reinhart’s character is more cautious, giving the group a counterbalance.
Julia Stiles plays Elizabeth, the journalist who interviews Destiny in 2014. Her scenes are more limited, but she gives the film a through-line into the present. Cardi B plays Diamond, a former stripper who joins the scheme. Her performance is physical and sharp, and the film leans on her star power to make Diamond a memorable character. Lizzo plays Liz.
Mercedes Ruehl plays Mother, the grandmother who gives Destiny a home. She is the steady ground the whole story rests on. Trace Lysette and Mette Towley join the cast as Tracey and Justice, and Madeline Brewer plays Dawn. Frank Whaley also appears in the film.
The World of the Club
The film is set in a specific New York club, and Scafaria builds the world around it with care. The club is a place where money and desire meet, and the film captures that atmosphere well. The scenes inside the establishment are shot with a warm, lived-in feel, and the editing keeps the pace tight.
The film also shows how the club changes after the financial crisis. The staffing shift to immigrant women willing to perform sex acts for money is a specific detail that gives the story its context. The film does not shy away from the fact that the scheme is a form of exploitation, even as it follows the women who carry it out.
The Production Journey
Scafaria spent two years casting for the film. Lopez was Scafaria’s first choice to play Ramona, and she says she realized early on that the character was Jennifer Lopez. Lopez’s commitment to the role was clear from the start, and the film benefits from her dedication.
Cardi B was cast as part of Scafaria’s vision for the project. Lopez said she knew Cardi knew this world better than anyone and that she convinced her to join. The film gives Cardi B a specific role, and she plays it with confidence and energy.
The film was originally set to be financed and distributed by Annapurna Pictures. Annapurna dropped the rights amid financial trouble in October 2018. STX Entertainment picked them up, and much of the cast joined that fall through the following spring. Filming took place in New York City from March to May 2019.
Critical Reception
The film received positive reviews from critics. The score sits at 7.9 out of 10.
“Ramona is Jennifer Lopez. It has to be her.”
Lopez’s performance was singled out for particular praise. She received nominations at the Golden Globe, Critics Choice and Screen Actors Guild award ceremonies for her work in the film.
A Timeline of the Film’s Journey
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| First announced | February 2016 |
| Ramona cast | August 2018 |
| Destiny cast | October, after putting herself on tape |
| Scafaria cast | March 2019 |
| Lizzo cast | April 2019 |
| Usher cast | May 2019 |
| Filming | March to May 2019 |
| World premiere | September 7, 2019, at Toronto International Film Festival |
| Release | September 13, 2019, in the United States |
The Verdict
“Hustlers” is a film about desperation, friendship and the cost of making a living. It does not romanticize its characters, and it does not excuse the scheme they carry out. The film keeps the story grounded in the world of the club, and the performances carry the weight of the material.
The film’s flaws are real. The pacing in the middle stretches at times, and some scenes feel too long. But the strength of the central performances, particularly Lopez’s, carries the film through its rough patches.
“Hustlers” is a confident, well-cast crime comedy-drama that earns its place. It is a film about women who make a living in a difficult world, and it treats them with honesty and respect. The score reflects that balance.
The film is currently streaming on various platforms.
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