I am and always have been the least person interested in sports. Yet I love when sports movies are well made. They make some of the best feel good movies.
It is much better than expected
Premise - 14/20 - Love sports, not huge on basketball, so I was worried I wouldn't love it.
Cast/characters - 16/20 - Sandler's character was great, Hernangomez was very believable in the role, and most of the supporting characters did their jobs well. With so many NBA players in the cast, it was impressive that the egos were in check.
Plot - 17/20 - I didn't think I would love it, but I did. Believing in yourself and helping someone else believe in themselves was a good story, but the requirement that putting in the work is required to achieve your dreams was fantastic. The climax and the ending were well done.
Dialogue - 15/20 - The supportive conversation and the journey the two leads went on together was portrayed very well through dialogue.
World-building - 16/20 - I felt like I had a good look at the inner workings of the NBA combine and training programs here, which was a world only glossed over by most other basketball movies.
78/100 - 4/5 stars - A nice surprise from Sandler. He can play a wide variety of roles. If you're stuck because he spent too long doing Billy Madison-type movies, you're really missing out on what he can do.
While Hustle's narrative is nothing groundbreaking for sports movies; its characters and relationships, cameos, montages, and moments of genuine tension all elevate it far beyond my initial expectations and into a very competent film.
A movie that repeats the formula of a lot of another sport movies, like Rocky, but that also can be a light and amusing movie, that brings the essence of basketball, however some scenes have a lot of cuts in the edition that makes it hard to understand what is happening.
Another movie that Adam Sandler venture into a different role than he is used to.
I cannot stand the sport but thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Even though cliche from the start, and ending was hugely predictable, the pacing and story telling made it entertaining. The amount of true-life NBA stars and personnel (even though I only knew half of them) made it much more believable.
The only thing missing... I was waiting for a "You can do it!!"
It was the typical sports story but it was entertaining.
Really great sports drama with excellent performance from Sandler.
Boy I really enjoyed Hustle. Whilst I grew up with Sandler as a comedy iconic, and I love his films from the 90s and early 00s, its his serious endeavors which I greatly love. Punch Drunk Love, Uncut Gems, Reign Over Me and now Hustle. These are all excellent films. Hustle doesn't break the mold or bring anything new to the table, but it's well produced, directed, edited and acted. I enjoyed all of this.
Sandler and Juancho are doing a great job in this movie, as well as all the supporting characters. It was a great and enjoyable watch, as some sports movies and really bum out or get boring. The story is easy to follow, camera work is great and has some great shots, makes use of the future (social media) and gets emotional at the right time.
Well done movie. Love all the effort and different actors they put it this film!
Very uplifting and well done movie. Amazing that so many NBA stars were happy to star in it and play pivotal roles. Fantastic movie!!
Pretty boring plot wise and the cinematography felt like a Succession vibe, almost like comedic reality show which I'm not sure is the right way to go for this movie. But Adam Sandler is amazing and so was Juancho Hernangómez which completely made up for it with their unforgettable performances.
For a straightforward sports/coach redemption story it was really well done. Tremendous job of acting all around.
Feels like a 90s movie but given the number of non-actors in acting roles I'll give it a pass.
A refreshingly straightforward sports movie with heart, real stars, and the Sandman himself. I can’t wait to pick up Bo Cruz on my fantasy basketball team.
Great film 9/10
Best Sandler performance for years
Good watch. Think of Rocky but the basketball version.
Really got into the movie and wanted "Cruz missile" to succeed.
also has the element of comedy in places.
overall well worth a watch.
just so so ... stereotyped plot
[Netflix] Although it is as predictable as it is unexciting at times, it has that story component of losers who find a second chance, represented by an Adam Sandler who seems to have taken the measure of this type of character. And it is important that in the representation of the NBA, the foreign players are also taken into account, which Juancho Hernangómez reflects with honesty.
Strong role from adam, love his serious roles as much as his comedy ones and he did a great job and it was an enjoyable film.
WOW I really liked it. I enjoyed every minute. All the acting is great and the script, as predictable as it is, creates a good movie. It is nothing new and we have seen it many times before, but it is well made an I think it is worth watching.
"I'll say one last inspirational thing to you: They can't kill you if you're already dead."
Sports films are hard to do because the actual sport element can look corny or just not good but they make you care about the characters here while making them look awesome on the court. Also, Adam Sandler knows how to portray characters with internal turmoil so well, and I hope he keeps finding more projects like this to do.
Heart-felt, Amusing, Gritty
The latest Adam Sandler movie is about everything that rises above its cliches. It has a witty space for humor, a sharp screenplay to keep you engaged, and a beautiful heart that stays a little longer with you than expected. Adam Sandler is rock solid as the training scout who aspires to be a coach and Juancho Hernangome as Bo Cruz is a charmer on screen. When a gritty story even though it's predictable, is presented with finesse you can't stop but keep praising it. The basketball scenes are well shot, and the pumping music tracks are beautifully integrated too. Overall, from Netflix, this dramedy is a sweet surprise.
We shouldn't be typecasting Adam Sandler as only a comedian after all, with a performance as good as in Uncut Gems. He delivers again and doesn't let you complain. It's the same old underdog story but the execution and narration set it apart which makes you like it. The tall, lanky Juancho is amazing as Bo and you like him from the first scene. The way he overcomes his fears and trains for his NBA selection is brilliantly captured. Great one from Netflix yet again.
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Absolutely nothing new or fresh to write home about. All the tired Boomer cliches from every sports movie ever are in this. If this was made in the 80s-90s, Bo would've been African American and it would've been the exact same White Savior story.
How do you make a sports film in 2022 and not incorporate sports science, sports nutrition, mental health education etc. etc.?
It was cute. Jaleel White and Latifah haven't aged a day! Nice story, good acting, good pacing. Delightful lil watch.
Great movie. I loved every second.
Adam Sandler and sports movies are like peanut butter and jelly. They just work. This is even real athletes as the supporting cast, and it’s really good. The plot was compelling and Adam Sandler wasn’t trying to be funny (despite occasional comic relief). Most of all, this seemed too good for a Netflix movie. While it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, it is definitely one I would recommend to a lot of people!
Rating: 4/5 - 8.5/10 - Would Recommend
This was a good one. I liked it better than Uncut Gems!
Hustle (2022) is a movie from Adam Sandler which has a very similar story to "Million Dollar Arm (2014)". It was an interesting and motivational family movie with different aspects to the story.
Family is important
In most of family movies, they show that the family comes first and it is very important. You may feel motivated because you want to build a better future for your kids and family and that's a beautiful message you can find is many movies.
Hard work pays off
Many people cannot understand how some people achieve what they have today. This movie shows that with the hard work and dedication you can make progress and in time you can achieve your goals.
Promoting sportsmanship
It's very cleaver to promote sportsmanship and good behavior in sports. Being kind to people always underrated and not many appreciate it. You never know what others are going through & being rude doesn't make it easier for them.
Importance of social media
The story clearly shows that the social media is a powerful tool that you can use to promote yourself and your business. However, in the story focused on the positive side of social media platform.
Make it funny
Adam Sandler was trying to sneak in his jokes and comedy to this movie and it was just the right amount.
Conclusion
Overall it was an entertaining movie with good message. It was a little bit cliché as you can find so many other movies like this with similar stories and messages.
Exactly the type of movie i was looking for to watch the past three weeks.Even though it's cliche at some points,it's an emotional,motivating and full of tense movie that i really liked and i am not a big fan of basketball.Adam's Sandler did a great job like in uncut jems and this new kind of movies is better for his carrer. 7.8/10
Really enjoyable for Sandler fans & basketball fans alike. Juancho acquitted himself well here. Little bit of a misuse of Ben Foster to be honest. He's so much better than the role he was given. All in all I enjoyed the hell out of it, so I'm giving it an 8.2. Probably more like a 6.5-7 movie, but I'm the target demo for sure, so it's significant higher for this mark.
I'm quite enjoying the new basketball era of Adam Sandler's career. So far he's two for two, with both this film and Uncut Gems being worthy additions to the library of basketball focused cinema. But that's not to say that the movies are similar. They could not be more different, which gives Sandler a chance to really show some range between the two. In that first outing, Sandler played a manic, desperate sports gambler, with the story tracking his depressing downward spiral. This film instead tells a more traditional feel-good sports story, with Sandler's character playing a talent scout who risks it all to champion an unknown international player. We get all of the classic sports movie clichés, with training montages galore and our star bouncing back and forth between being in the zone and having the yips whenever the plot demands (we also get the up and coming cliché of social media/viral videos being an important plot point).
Now, pointing out clichés often has a negative connotation, but that's not the case here. This is another film that really demonstrates that the oldest formulas can still lead to great films. The familiarity of high level plot points is a sin easily forgiven if the moment to moment writing, performances, and filmmaking are all excellent, as they are in this film. It also helps if a movie can find small ways to twist the formula and keep things at least a little bit fresh, which this movie also does. In particular, the film's focus on the draft/combine is a nice change of pace from most sports films. Instead of having the tension driven by the score line in a "big game", this film leverages the smaller stakes of simply performing well in training and practice. Another big plus is the generous presence of legit NBA talent. The use of real players, past and present, grounds the movie in reality and makes for a fun watch for the fans. And, while I'm no basketball expert, I think it's safe to say that that presence also improved the quality of the basketball footage in the film.
I know very little about basketball and I really liked this movie.
It just has a very pleasant feel good factor about it.
Sandler is very good as the washed up talent scout and he makes more of an impact here than he does in his mostly woeful comedy roles. Not quite a slam dunk of a movie but enjoyable all the same.
Great movie man :clap_tone5::clap_tone5::clap_tone5: Adam Sandler did not miss
This was ok. I think it's mainly because I'm not the biggest fan of Adam Sandler and I don't really like films based around sports but there were some mildly amusing scenes and a decent story.
I absolutely LOVE Adam Sandler movies. But what I truly love is when he shows his versatility as an actor. Yes The Waterboy, Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, etc. are all classics. But Uncut Gems, Reign Over Me, and now Hustle just hit different. This movie was fantastic. Absolutely loved it from start to finish.
Cliché, but not bad and entertaining.
This movie was amazing, but it really requires a love of basketball to fully appreciate it otherwise it's just a slightly above average Netflix throwaway. That being said I am a basketball fan and Sandler's love of basketball is infectious and shows a respect for the game and past and present players even though the story itself is basically myplayer mode in 2k.
I miss these kind of feel good sport movies.
I guess "funny" movies is not working for Sandler anymore, now is doing more serious roles. This is one was good. little long for my taste but good content. my only complain when he discover Bo in Spain, one of the guys spanish was more dominican than spanish. Made me feel it was a NY instead :-)
Its a good movie but too long. Could trim 25 mins of fat from this and would be better :ok_hand_tone1:
"Obsession is going to beat talent every time."
When I was younger and when I had joined Letterboxd with my first account I used to hate on Adam Sandler just be the a bit in but watching some of his more drama filled film I begin to love the guy more. I hope he makes more serious side steps.
Hustle is kind of your standard predictable sports movie but it is a good one. Loads of cameos and big names from the bastketball world. You see the passion in Sandler's eyes. Everyone is brings it acting wise. I was impressed by Juancho Hernangomez, he was way better then I would've anticipated on.
Anyway, if you like sports movies Hustle is one you can't skip. Adam Sandler, you are back on my radar!
Truly a feeling good movie. not bad at all.
Shout by randompadleyBlockedParent2022-06-16T21:50:11Z
I love it when Sandler plays these more serious roles. While I love him as a comedic actor I genuinely feel like he excels further when he shows his range and is cast for these more serious roles. Hustle isn't really anything groundbreaking and doesn't particularly break any new ground in what we've all seen in most sport movies. But the cast, the tension, music and everything else just works despite hitting all the usual cliches. Just a solid 'feel good' and motivational film. Highly recommend for Sandler fans, my wife who has zero interest in any kind of sports sat and watched the whole thing and enjoyed this one so please don't think you need to know basketball or enjoy sports to enjoy this. Solid 8/10