Hustle (2022)
“Do you love this game? I mean, love it with your whole heart?” – Stanley.
Hustle (2022)
Directed by: Jeremiah Zagar
Written by: Will Fetters, Taylor Materne
Starring: Adam Sandler, Queen Latifah, Robert Duvall, Juancho Hernangomez
Underdog sports prodigy is plucked from obscurity. They face adversity. They succeed. It’s the generic ‘underdog-sports-movie’ formula we’ve seen time and time again, so Hustle shouldn't be anything special. But with snappy cinematography and a powerhouse performance from the two leads, it’s hard to hate on this touching feel-good drama.
When Stanley Sugerman (Sandler), a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers, is tasked with finding the ‘missing piece’ for the team, he chances upon unknown phenom Bo Cruz (Hernangomez) in Spain. With pressure from the team, his family, and himself, Stanley stakes his reputation on Bo’s talents and flies him out to train for the NBA combine.
As with any sports movie, it’s filled with satisfying training montages, predictable complications, and an even more predictable ending. There’s also a mountain of unapologetic NBA fanservice for die-hard hoops fans, with cameos from players such as Kenny Smith, Julius Erving, Shaq, Boban Marjanovic, Anthony Edwards, Trae Young, and many, many more. However, the majority of the film focuses on the relationship between Stan and Bo, with Sandler and Hernangomez hitting it out of the park as the fun-loving duo.
Sandler’s dramatic acting chops are unquestionable at this stage - he’s able to command a scene so casually, delivering each chuckle and monotone line in such an understated way that he could be sitting on the couch right next to you. However, Hernangomez, an NBA player with no acting experience, comes from the rafters with one of the best athlete acting performances of all time, bouncing off Sandler perfectly. Stan and Bo riff and learn and grow from one another throughout the film, with the cheesy ending a culmination of their blossoming friendship.
Not a slam-dunk, but the emotional undertones and Sandler’s likeability make this as smooth as Juancho’s jumper.
Rating: 7.5/10