Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson star in The Hustle.Christian Black/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc.
So, where do I even begin with The Hustle? Picture this: two talented actresses, a director famed for his comedic prowess, and a plot based on a classic comedy. Sounds like a recipe for success, right? Wrong. Instead, it’s as if someone baked a cake with salt instead of sugar: the intention was there, but the execution… well, let’s just say it didn’t rise.
Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, “You could’ve been more!”? That was my mantra during the closing credits. Instead of expressing my frustration aloud, I settled for the quiet dignity of popcorn crumb cleanup. Directed by Chris Addison—a man who has previously danced with the comedy gods in Veep—this film paired A-listers Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson. One can only hope that the casting agents were just as surprised as the audience to find a screenplay that stranded them on a deserted plot island.
Here’s a plot twist: the film follows two rival con artists, but instead of peeling back the layers of feminism and societal critique, it squanders its potential on willy-nilly gags about Wilson’s appearance. Nunh-uh! Hathaway’s character, Josephine, is just as much a mystery as the ‘who done it’ in a poorly scripted whodunit. Does anyone actually know her backstory? Spoiler alert: Nope! But don’t worry, you’re treated to a far-too-extended subplot about Wilson’s character pretending to be blind as a way to con men. If only the script had been as creative as its premise…
The premise, which should have been a delightful exploration of two women outsmarting sexist, superficial men, fumbled harder than a toddler learning to walk. With lines meant to break barriers ending up breaking the fourth wall instead, it feels like Addison and the team tossed out all the clever wordplay and replaced it with jokes that even a lowbrow comedy movie would reject.
What’s more tragic? These incredibly talented actresses deserve better punchlines than just the low-hanging fruit of bickering over who looks better in a dress. Wilson should be reclaiming her comedic throne, and Hathaway? Well, it’s hard to believe the same actress who brought us Selina Kyle now demands our sympathy for a character who isn’t even given a proper Wikipedia page. Honestly, it’s a crime against comedy.
Perhaps not all stories are meant to be remade. The 1988 classic Dirty Rotten Scoundrels could have remained untouched and untainted, and audiences would’ve been left to ponder the intentional and the absurd without having to sit through this convoluted mess. The mere existence of the film suggests that Hollywood, in its infinite wisdom, believes we want rehashed barely-funny content. That’s a head-scratcher, or maybe we’re all just hooked on easy-to-digest reboots?
In the end, what this film truly teaches us is simple: settle for mediocrity and you just might convince yourself it’s the norm. Until we demand more thoughtful, clever comedies that make us cackle as much as they make us think, we’ll just keep settling for reruns of failed capers like The Hustle. Well, here’s to hoping that next time, the filmmakers will skip the salt and return to sugar, because no one deserves to be conned out of a good laugh.
The Hustle hits theaters on May 10. And if you do decide to watch, don’t forget to bring your salt shaker—it’s bound to be about as flavorful as cold porridge.
