Hustle

 

Hustle is a sports comedy drama starring Adam Sandler and Juancho Hernangómez. The story follows NBA talent scout, Stanley Sugerman, played by Sandler, who discovers an unknown street ball player, Bo Cruz, played by Hernangómez. With the pressure on, Sugerman must try to get Cruz NBA ready, which if successful, could change the trajectory of both of their careers.

The plot was authentic, earnest and engaging throughout; though a bit predictable. There was strong character development for Sandler and Hernangómez’s characters. This is the first time I've seen Hernangómez act and I thought he did a really great job in this co-leading role. He did a great job portraying a man, down on his luck, who really needed this shot. I also quite enjoyed the pairing of Queen Latifa as Stanley's wife Teresa Sugerman and Sandler. It was unexpected but they had great chemistry together. There was also an impressive amount of active and retired basketball players that made cameos or had parts in this movie and they were all surprisingly very good in their acting.

I’m starting to really appreciate Adam Sandler’s transition to more serious roles. This is the second film where he’s taken this risk, that I’ve really enjoyed. I thought the story did a great job of mixing in comedic moments while also being raw and genuine in the storytelling. This is definitely a movie I would recommend.