I’m honestly surprised it took Adam Sandler this long to make a basketball movie. Golf, football, football again. But never basketball. And the Sandman loves basketball. So it had to only be a matter of time. And whenever it was going to happen, you knew he was going to do it the right way. In Hustle, out now on Netflix, you can see Sandler’s love for the game in every facet of the story and characters. Even the littlest details receive careful attention, which, when added up, make a big difference.
Sandler plays Stanley Sugerman, a longtime international scout for the Philadelphia 76ers. He’s found success in this role, but his ultimate dream has always been to become an NBA coach. And that dream seems to be realized when 76ers owner Rex Merrick (Robert Duvall) promotes Stanley to assistant coach. Unfortunately, Stanley’s newfound gig is short-lived. Rex passes away that same evening, leaving his smug, incompetent son Vince (Ben Foster) in charge. Vince sends Stanley back out on the road, to find that elusive “missing piece” so many teams are constantly searching for.
Stanley thinks he’s found that piece in Spain. He stumbles upon a local pickup game where he sees Bo Cruz (current Utah Jazz power forward Juancho Hernangómez). Cruz is raw, but his natural talent is undeniable. Stanley brings him back to Philly to train. He ends up footing the bill when Vince – predictably – dismisses the idea. And from there, Hustle focuses on the growing bond between Stanley and Bo, as Stanley pours his time, heart, and soul into getting Bo a shot in the NBA.
From a story standpoint, Hustle doesn’t break the mold, and you’re not going to see anything you haven’t seen before. But that doesn’t really matter here. The underdog sports movie shares some similarities to romantic comedies. They might be predictable and formulaic, but it’s a formula that works. Rocky is arguably the most popular underdog movie, and Hustle clearly drew inspiration from it, even down to an extended training montage with Bo and Stanley. It’s not likely to convert anyone who doesn’t typically go for this kind of movie. But for those of us who are already fans? It’s money in the bank.
If the story is mostly predictable, where else does Hustle elevate itself? It starts with the two leads. Hernangómez had never acted before, but you wouldn’t know it from his performance here. You never know what you’re going to get from athletes-turned-actors, and Hernangómez is completely believable in the role. And Bo Cruz isn’t just some simple, one-note character either. There’s some depth and real emotion at play (though I wish there were more), and Hernangómez proves more than up to the challenge.
Choosing a player like Hernangómez was a very smart decision. He’s a known player to NBA fans, but he’s no star; he has a career average of 5.4 points per game. Seeing him as the second lead isn’t going to take you out of the movie. Imagine Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, or Nikola Jokic in the role instead. All legitimate superstars. Just by being who they are, they wouldn’t be believable in this role. With Hernangómez, you still get the basketball talent while also getting someone who makes sense in the role He was an inspired casting decision.
Sandler is also in fine form here, giving one of his better performances. Even though Stanley receives minimal depth and character development, Sandler still finds a way to perfectly embody the beaten down scout still striving for his ultimate goal.
The two leads have a smooth, natural chemistry that should easily draw viewers into their relationship. The movie wouldn’t work if these two didn’t click. Everything else it does well wouldn’t really matter, as these two make up nearly 100% of the movie.
The other major aspect that Hustle nails is how real it all feels. Aside from centering the NBA draft combine as some all-important pre-draft moment (it’s definitely not), the ins and outs of the business of basketball felt pretty accurate. It helps when you’re a huge celebrity and known NBA fan like Sandler and can get several real-life NBA coaches, executives, and players to show up throughout the movie. Even though the front office guys don’t have a ton to do, it adds credibility where other movies maybe can’t.
But it’s the players who might add the most. Any time you have a movie or TV show with a sport or athlete at its center, I’m always watching for how realistic the action looks. Just take a look at two of the more infamous instances of when this goes (very) wrong.
Awful, just awful. But Hustle has actual NBA players, and not just one or two. Several current 76ers get important screen time, playing themselves. As do Trae Young, Aaron Gordon, Boban Marjanovic, among others, also as themselves. Anthony Edwards (of my Minnesota Timberwolves; you simply love to see it) gets the meatiest role as soon-to-be-top-two draft pick Kermit Wilts, who develops a rivalry with Cruz during the pre-draft process. Ant is in the running for the funniest dude in the NBA right now, and that charm shines through, even in a classic sports villain role. Seriously, if you’re unfamiliar, take some time to and educate yourself on a gem of a human being, here, here, and here. And then there’s this, which just might be the single greatest interview answer ever given.
Having so many NBA players here allows for the basketball to look, well, like actual basketball. There’s not much that can take me out of a sports movie more than bad sports scenes. Obviously that’s not a concern here. Once again, it actually makes it feel like they’re really working in the NBA world. This is an aspect not every sports movie gets right. And getting it right makes a huge difference. It gives a different, better vibe to the whole movie.
Even though Sandler and Hernangómez are great together, it’s the supporting characters that prevent Hustle from elevating from “good” to “great.” Stanley’s relationships with his wife Teresa (Queen Latifah) and daughter Alex (Jordan Hull) barely even get a surface level treatment. A few intriguing possibilities are hinted at, but never explored. Bo and his mom and daughter provide the chunk of any emotional resonance, but the movie doesn’t do a ton here either.
Hustle is a perfectly fine, fun, enjoyable feel-good sports movie. I wish a couple different decisions had been made to really dive deeper into Stanley and Bo, but I’m good with it as is. I’m never going to complain about Sandler making a solid movie.
Score: 83/100
