Hustle

By: Jamie Steinberg

Stanley Sugerman (Adam Sandler) is dedicated to his craft. He is a basketball scout that travels the world finding players to recruit for the 76ers. He has been doing this for years and is ready to step off the road and into an Assistant Coach position. That is until the team manager (Robert Duvall) passes away and his son steps in. Vince (Ben Foster) doesn’t seem to share the same faith in Stanley that his father did, so he sends him back on the road. All things change when Stanley heads to Spain and finds a player on a concrete court that will change his world. Something that will happen to you too when you watch the beautiful basketball film with a heart – Hustle.

Stanley Sugerman is so sure he has found a diamond in the rough that he goes all in. Bo Cruz (Juancho Hernangomez) is a construction worker and single father just looking to provide for his little girl. Stanley takes him under his wing and gives him wisdom that will surely up Bo’s game, believing him to be the perfect teammate for the 76ers. Unfortunately, Vince doesn’t share his enthusiasm for Cruz. Disappointed and done, Sugerman quits and pushes for Cruz to compete in the combine (a secondary draft designed to give players a chance to showcase their talents in hopes of being picked for an NBA opportunity) so that another team can snatch him up. All Stanley has to do is get Bo in better shape and help him stay cool under the taunts of other players.

Brilliantly acted by both Sandler and Hernangomez, Hustle truly is a hit. Director Jeremiah Zagar beautifully shoots this film, injecting it with heart and humor (a Sandler film trademark). His shot work with Bo’s skills and the sweet moments with Sugerman’s advice and snark (with a bit of love injected by Queen Latifah) make this movie magical. Additionally, Writers Will Fetters and Taylor Materne did their thing giving Sugerman the heart and talent he needs to push Cruz to be both their tickets to the big show. Hernangomez is clearly talented on the court, but boy does he do a darn good job at acting here, too! I hope he has other projects in the works. Sandler, who is a well-known avid basketball fan, also truly shines. His personal love for the game shines through in Sugerman. Hernangomez and Sandler make a beautiful and moving duo that certainly makes any viewer (sports fan or not) invest all-in on this dynamic duo.

Sugerman poses the question, “Do you love this game?” Well, you actually don’t have to be a sports fan in order to fall for the new Netflix film Hustle. It’s the performances, the passion and the heart that makes this a slam dunk. There may be no “I” in “Team,” but there is in “triumph” and this film is just that.