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‘Hustle’ is a Great Playoffs Chaser
The fun ride I needed for the post-NBA season blues.
Hustle introduces us to Stanley Sugerman (Adam Sandler), a scout for the 76ers, who discovers a talented young basketball player named Bo (Juancho Hernangomez). Will they be able to overcome all odds in order to get him into the NBA?
This is your typical sports movie and doesn’t do anything super original plot-wise. Normally, I might feel some type of way about that, but not with this film. Hustle benefits from a whole treasure trove of NBA greats like Boban, Dirk, the incomparable Dr. J, and so many more. This automatically gives this basketball-focused film some immediate credibility. It was nice to see so many greats playing various roles in this film.
Juancho Hernangomez gives a seriously good performance as Bo. I was incredibly surprised! Bo is a character with a bunch of emotional depth— he has a pretty solid backstory with plenty of internal and external things to overcome throughout the film. Hernangomez is able to navigate all of the highs and lows on and off the court very convincingly.
Also, Anthony Edwards gives a pretty great performance as Bo’s rival, Kermit Wilts. What a pleasant surprise!
Then, of course, there’s Adam Sandler’s portrayal of Stan, the once great basketball player…
