If you find yourself stuck in a relationship you desperately want to end, you might just have the perfect solution at hand: take your reluctant partner to watch this comedic disaster.
The Hustle, starring Anne Hathaway—who seems to be having an existential crisis in 2019 after appearing in the truly dreadful Serenity—and Rebel Wilson, introduces us to two con artists doing their shady business in the sun-soaked streets of southern France. Because nothing says romance like fraud, right?
This cinematic gem is more than just a cash grab; it’s a remake of the 1988 classic, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which itself was a reimagining of the 1964 film Bedtime Story, starring Marlon Brando and David Niven. Let’s just say, it’s a lineage of comedy that might have had better luck as an artistic abstention.
But fear not: if you were hoping this gender-flipped remake, helmed by Chris Addison (a director who seemingly missed every comedy class), would breathe new life into the old premise, think again. The critics have weighed in, and spoiler alert: they’re not feeling it. With a dismal 16% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the reviews have been about as kind as a rock concert in a library.
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian didn’t hold back, declaring that Hathaway has become “Death of Comedy, the destroyer of gags.” His one-star review paints a picture of a post-apocalyptic landscape, left barren by Hathaway’s attempts at humor. “She detonates a megaton blast of pure unfunniness,” he quips, leaving no joke intact and every potential laugh reduced to nothing more than a gray ash.
Meanwhile, Matthew Norman delivers a backhanded invitation to couples facing the ‘we need to talk’ dilemma: “If you’re in a relationship you want to end, take the unwanted partner to this comic romp. One viewing should suffocate any lingering affection.” It’s practically a relationship therapist’s handbook disguised as a film review—and no, it won’t cost you much.
Robbie Collin also stepped into the fray, asserting that he didn’t laugh once throughout the entire film, a testament to the sheer miserable failure of comedy. When your non-laughter feels as intense as dodging velociraptors in a classic film, you know you’re in trouble. With no on-screen chemistry and Hathaway phoning in her performance, one has to wonder if they’d consider a sequel just to spare us this one.
Candice Frederick from The Wrap acknowledges there might be a glimmer of a clever movie hiding somewhere in this mess, but it’s painfully buried beneath layers of complete farce. She points out missed opportunities where gender issues could have transformed this from a flop into something resembling modern relevance. Instead, we’re presented with women competing to swindle men, because what’s more empowering than pitting your actresses against each other in mediocrity?
Kate Erbland at IndieWire, while slightly more forgiving, still calls out The Hustle as a cheap remake barely worth the budget of a college student. Despite its best attempts to dress itself up with green screens and questionable humor, Erbland concedes that the only saving grace is the chemistry between Hathaway and Wilson—though even that feels like a stretched rubber band at times. “When The Hustle works,” she observes, “it’s thanks to the sheer dedication of the cast.” A nice sentiment, but let’s not kid ourselves. The hustle here seems less about comedy and more about cashing in on recognizable faces.
