The Hustle Movie Review (2024)

Parents need to know that The Hustle is a remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (itself a remake of 1964's Bedtime Story) and stars two women (Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson) as dueling scam artists. Gender-flipping the cast helps this version avoid the misogynistic tilt of Scoundrels (in which men were fleecing vulnerable women), and the women's larceny even has an emotional peg: One of them admits she's conning men as revenge for being rejected. But it's worth noting that thieves are basically made sympathetic here, and it's clear that they're unrepentant. Jokes are made at the expense of fat people, blind people, and people with developmental disabilities and/or mental illness. Sex and violence are minimal; there are a few brief kisses, a woman propositions a man for sex in an airline bathroom (and then viewers see the plane jiggling in the air due to the "turbulence"), and a woman stages a cartoonish would-be seduction scene. And a few of the movie's pratfalls seem like they'd really hurt in real life. Minor characters smoke (pipe and e-cigarette). Language is infrequent, but expect to hear "f--k," "s--t," "c--k," and more.

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Language

some

Language is infrequent but includes "f--k," "f---ing," "s--t," "bitch," "c--k," "d--k," "a--hole," "t-ts," "goddamn" (including once in subtitles as "goddam"), "wanker," "slut," "oh my God." A character signs "Eat s--t and die."

Sex, Romance & Nudity

a little

One character has a love interest, but the romance is mostly offscreen, other than a brief kiss. A woman talks at length about a made-up friend's breasts and why she needs breast implants. A woman propositions a man in an airplane bathroom; he refuses, but then it appears as though they actually go through with it (viewers see a shot of the plane having turbulent movement, presumably from the movements of the couple in the bathroom). Some jokes have a sexual edge: A woman is called a "c--k tease," and a man tells a woman there's "another way" she can pay a debt, placing his hand on her thigh repeatedly.

Violence & Scariness

very little

A few pratfalls -- like when Penny pretends to fall over and then has a heavy vase fall on her -- look like they might result in broken bones in real life.

Products & Purchases

very little

Josephine and Penny talk a lot about how much money they've stolen, clearly competing over the dollar amount.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

very little

Adults drink champagne, wine, and cocktails at bars and dinners; no one acts drunk. Minor characters smoke a pipe and e-cigarette.

Positive Messages

a little

Messages are mixed. At times, movie gets painfully to the heart of female dilemmas like the anger Penny feels over being dismissed by men for her weight. But at others, it mocks the characters' problems: Penny is constantly stumbling over things and being rejected by men. There are jokes at the expense of marginalized groups. But women may appreciate some jokes that skewer misogynist clichés: "You must save your beautiful sister before she is defiled!" says a man to Penny. "Yeah, because once she's defiled, she's less special," she says back.

Positive Role Models

very little

Penny and Josephine are smart women who realize their worth despite being underestimated, particularly by men. Unfortunately, the way they level the playing field is by deception and stealing. Also, jokes involve mocking the marginalized: In one subplot, a character pretends to be blind; in another, she appears to be developmentally disabled or mentally ill. Both are true to the film that this one is based on, but they seem uglier today than in the '80s.