Hustle: A Paint-By-Numbers Sports Story

There is a reason that films about athletes have been a favorite among critics and audiences since motion pictures have been released. The plot is usually pretty simple: there is a clear and usually quantifiable goal where the only thing that is preventing the protagonist from achieving said goal is their own determination and their will to succeed. There may be an antagonistic force, however this force is usually cursory and acts as a personification of the internal struggles that the protagonist is facing. Usually, these stories follow a pretty simple and easy to replicate narrative so it is easy for someone to follow, even if they are not a fan of the sport in question. Adam Sandler’s latest Netflix movie Hustle follows the formula to a certain extent but does have a few pacing issues and the usual Happy Madison trappings.

The movie follows Stanley (Adam Sandler) who is a scout for the 76ers who is trying to get a job coaching for the team so he can be closer with to his family. He meets an unknown player from Spain named Bo who is a generational talent but has some secrets in his past. Stanley commits to train Bo to compete against some of the best candidates in the NBA draft and make the NBA combine so he can have his chance in the league.

Adam Sandler continues to prove himself to be a great actor when he’s given the opportunity. For every Grown Ups or Jack and Jill there is a Punch Drunk Love and Uncut Gems where he gets the chance to let his abilities shine through. The problem with this movie is that, like a plethora of other movies released by Happy Madison, there are a ton of cameos from famous celebrities and sports stars that can distract from the movie at hand. There is a deep love for the sport throughout the movie, however the appearance of tons of famous people will attract attention away from the story at hand.

The pacing as the movie enters the third act seems a little strange and feels like the training segments went on too long so they had to force all the dramatic aspects of the script into the third act of the movie. The reunion of Bo and his daughter, the unraveling of his past, the lowest point before a final chance, and the final chance are all pushed into about 40 minutes causing none of the moments to really land the way they should. Despite this issue, the rest of the movie is really entertaining and mostly carried by Adam Sandler’s performance.

Hustle is an entertaining watch for anyone who considers themselves to be a fan of sports films. It also works for viewers who are not the biggest fans of basketball fans because the human interest and redemption story at the center of the plot is strong enough to stand on its own terms. The movie is available to watch on Netflix and clocks in under two hours so it is an easy and entertaining way to spend some time.

Final Rating: 7.5/10