HUSTLE

Just what kind of movie did Happy Madison make? A sports dramedy that's not simply entertaining but also sincere and motivating? Sincerely, I'm at a loss for words. Hustle adopts many clichés from the sports movie playbook, yet it nonetheless succeeds because of its well-written characters and Adam Sandler's commanding presence. A layup, perhaps, but still rather remarkable.

contrast to other basketball movies, this one places more of an emphasis on the scouting process. Although it's not always as thrilling as seeing the underdogs triumph in the big game versus their opponents, it's a novel approach. I enjoyed this angle for a change.

While there are some humorous moments scattered throughout, the most of which come from Sandler, this is undoubtedly more of a drama than a comedy. He builds a persona that feels like a real human being by striking the ideal tone between serious and humorous. I believe that this was one of his best performances, and I want to see him give more performances like this in the future.

Hustle is a welcome surprise and the first really terrific movie to result from Sandler and Netflix's long-standing collaboration. Please watch it so that we may have more films like this and less ones like Hubie Halloween.
On a random side note - I’m pretty sure this entire movie was funded by the insane amount of fast food product placement in the first five minutes.