---
title: "Hustle"
year: 2022
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/hustle"
fi1m_id: "hustle"
imdb_id: "tt8009428"
tmdb_id: 705861
wikidata_id: "Q103377646"
fi1m_score: 72
critics_score: 70
critics_reviews: 20
published: "2026-09-24T23:07:38.727115+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-24T23:07:39.536195+00:00"
region: "IL"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Hustle (2022)

Directed by Jeremiah Zagar · 1h 57m · Drama, Comedy

## Identity

Hustle

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/hustle
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** hustle
- **IMDb ID:** tt8009428
- **TMDB ID:** 705861
- **Wikidata ID:** Q103377646
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8009428/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/705861, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q103377646

**Fi1m score: 72** · Critics 70 from 20 reviews

*In a sentence:* Every beat you expect, delivered by a tired man in a quarter-zip and a tall Spaniard running up a hill at dawn

> Adam Sandler, playing it straight, carries a basketball drama that does nothing you have not seen before and does most of it well. The scouting and the court scenes are alive; the front office villains are cardboard.

## Synopsis

Stanley Sugerman (Adam Sandler) is a basketball scout, and he has spent years in foreign gyms and airport hotels watching tall young men who will not quite do. He wants to come home and coach. His wife Teresa (Queen Latifah) and daughter Alex (Jordan Hull) see him between flights. The team’s owner, Rex Merrick (Robert Duvall), is fond of him; Rex’s son Vince (Ben Foster) is not, and when Vince takes charge Stanley is back on the road. In Spain he stumbles on Bo Cruz (Juancho Hernangómez), a player nobody has signed, who lives with his mother Paola (María Botto) and small daughter Lucia (Ainhoa Pillet). Stanley brings him to America without the team’s blessing and starts training him for the draft.

## Review

*Hustle* is the story of a scout who wants to be a coach and finds, on a concrete court in Spain, the player who might get him there. It is directed by Jeremiah Zagar, written by Will Fetters and Taylor Materne, and produced by, among others, LeBron James. You will know its shape from the first ten minutes. It is a good film anyway, because the people in it behave like people and the basketball looks like basketball, and those two things are rarer in the genre than they should be.

Since [*Uncut Gems*](https://film.one/film/uncut-gems) (2019) nobody has needed convincing that Sandler can act when he chooses to. Here he chooses to play tired. Stanley Sugerman eats in airports, sleeps on planes, and wears the quarter-zips and slightly too tight polo shirts that Johnetta Boone has found for him, the uniform of a man who stopped dressing for anyone years ago. Sandler drops the voice, drops the shouting and keeps the timing, so that Stanley’s jokes come out sideways, as things he says to get through a room. When he talks to Bo about the game he sounds like a man who loves something that has never loved him back much. It is the most likeable he has been in a long while.

Hernangómez is a working professional player rather than an actor, as are Kenny Smith and Anthony Edwards, and the reviews so far have been rightly surprised by how well this works. Bo is shy, proud and quick to anger, and Hernangómez plays him with his shoulders, closing up when a stranger speaks to him and opening only on court. The two men are easy together from the first scene in Spain, Stanley in a rental car following a bus, Bo pretending not to notice. Most of what is good in the film is the two of them in a gym at six in the morning.

Zak Mulligan shoots the games from inside them, handheld at waist height, so the camera is a player who cannot keep up, and because the men on court are real players there is no cutting around anyone who cannot shoot. Perry Andelin Blake gives the Sugermans a small, cluttered house and the Merricks glass offices with nothing on the desks. Brian M. Robinson and Tom Costain cut the training so that the bounce of the ball sets the pace of the film, and under it Dan Deacon’s score, all short repeated synthesiser phrases and a pulse that keeps skipping, makes even a stretching drill feel like a countdown.

Here is what we felt. There is a montage of Bo running up a hill in the dark, day after day, with Stanley timing him from the car, and the film had told us in every possible way that this was coming. We were stirred by it anyway, properly and physically, and then slightly annoyed with ourselves. That is the sequence to judge the film by. Deacon’s music, the cutting and Hernangómez’s face doing nothing but hurt earn the feeling even though the script had already ordered it.

The front office is where it goes thin. Foster’s Vince has no reason to dislike Stanley beyond the plot needing someone to, and Foster, who can do a great deal, is given a sneer and a good coat. Queen Latifah is handed the wife at the kitchen table and makes more of it than is written; the film keeps leaving her there. Every setback arrives on the genre’s timetable, and a scrimmage in which Kermit Wilts starts talking to Bo and does not stop is the one place the script finds a cruelty of its own. A lot of real players and coaches pass through, and the film sometimes stops to look at them for a beat longer than it should.

Zagar knows he is making a film about a man running up things, and he does not hide from [*Rocky*](https://film.one/film/rocky) (1976) so much as nod at it and get on. Against the better basketball films, [*Hoop Dreams*](https://film.one/film/hoop-dreams) (1994) most of all, this has nothing to say about the business except that it is hard and some of the people in it are decent. That is enough for an evening. It runs 117 minutes, it carries a 15 for the language, and we would happily watch the two of them in that gym again.

*Fi1m score 72, published 24 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics like Hustle, and they say the same two things: the story is standard sports-drama formula, and Adam Sandler is good in it. The praise settles on his performance, described as sincere, weary and free of comic mannerism, and on the basketball: the game sequences, the training montages, the professional players appearing as themselves. Several single out his easy rapport with Juancho Hernangómez. Jeremiah Zagar’s direction and Dan Deacon’s score also get credit.

The reservations are shared even by admirers. Predictable plotting, thin characters and stock villains come up in most reviews. The spread is narrow, with most scores in the seventies and low eighties. Two outright dissenters, Slant and Consequence, find the clichés too heavy to carry, though even they credit the Sandler–Hernangómez chemistry and the slickly cut montages. The New Yorker sits between, praising the insider knowledge of the sport but faulting the direction’s lack of originality.

## Straight answers

**Is Hustle worth watching?**

*Hustle* is worth watching for anyone who likes a sports drama and does not mind knowing the shape of it from the first ten minutes, and we scored it 72. Adam Sandler, playing it straight and tired, and Juancho Hernangómez are easy together in the gym scenes, and the basketball looks like basketball. The front office villains are cardboard.

**How long is Hustle, and what is it rated?**

*Hustle* runs 1h 57m. It is a drama and comedy film.

**Where can I watch Hustle in Israel?**

*Hustle* is streaming on Netflix in Israel. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Hustle, and is it suitable for children?**

*Hustle* carries a 15 in the UK and an R in the US, and the certificate is for the language rather than anything violent or frightening. It is a basketball drama about training and scouting, with no violence the review found worth mentioning. Older teenagers who follow the game will be fine; the swearing is the only thing to weigh for younger ones.

**How does Hustle compare to Uncut Gems?**

*Hustle* shows Adam Sandler at the calm end of the scale, where [*Uncut Gems*](https://film.one/film/uncut-gems) has him wired, doomed and impossible to look away from. *Uncut Gems* is the more ambitious and better film, a tightly controlled and punishingly noisy thriller; *Hustle* is a warmer, more predictable evening. Choose *Hustle* if you want to like him, *Uncut Gems* if you want to be gripped.

**What should I watch after Hustle?**

After *Hustle*, try [*Uncut Gems*](https://film.one/film/uncut-gems) (2019, Fi1m 85): Sandler at the other end of the scale, wired, doomed and impossible to look away from. Then [*Hoop Dreams*](https://film.one/film/hoop-dreams) (1994, Fi1m 92): Two Chicago boys, five years, and everything Hustle’s script leaves out about the business; and [*Moneyball*](https://film.one/film/moneyball) (2011, Fi1m 83): The front office as the drama, and a scout’s eye against a spreadsheet.

### Reviews we read (20)

- **Variety**, Owen Gleiberman (Critics Pick): Gleiberman finds the familiar sports-drama formula rousing and convincing, with Adam Sandler delivering an unusually authentic performance. He praises the film’s realism, credited both to Sandler’s weary, resilient portrayal and the many NBA players appearing as themselves. [Read](https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/hustle-review-adam-sandler-bo-cruz-1235283083/)
- **Vulture**, Bilge Ebiri (85/100, inferred): Ebiri finds the film warmly affecting and says it works beautifully despite its standard-issue plot. He especially praises Adam Sandler’s sincere, unadorned performance and the lived-in feel of the family relationships. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-adam-sandler-in-netflixs-nba-drama-hustle.html)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney (80/100, inferred): Rooney finds the film sweet, satisfying and sincere despite its familiar sports-drama formula. He especially praises Sandler’s nuanced performance and the believable friendship between the two leads. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/hustle-adam-sandler-netflix-1235157749/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Justin Chang (78/100, inferred): Chang finds Hustle formulaic but finely textured, with Sandler delivering a warm, winningly restrained performance. He praises the film’s energetic, authentic basketball sequences and rough-hewn style, while faulting its stock villains and familiar story beats. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-06-07/hustle-review-netflix-adam-sandler-basketball)
- **IndieWire**, David Ehrlich (B): Ehrlich calls the film a rock-solid, affecting basketball drama, while noting its formulaic construction and predictable ending. He particularly praises Jeremiah Zagar’s direction and Adam Sandler’s likable, grounded performance. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/hustle-review-adam-sandler-netflix-1234730318/)
- **The AV Club**, Courtney Howard (B): Howard finds Hustle a familiar but satisfying sports drama, praising its artistry, emotional depth, and performances. She singles out the training montage’s propulsive sound and visuals, while noting that some plot turns feel clunky and overexplained. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/hustle-review-adam-sandler-jeremiah-zagar-juancho-herna-1849009550)
- **Empire**, Amon Warmann (75/100, inferred): Warmann finds the film enjoyable and heartfelt, though its familiar sports-drama formula keeps it from the genre’s upper tier. He praises Sandler’s performance and the film’s vivid portrayal of basketball and its culture. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/hustle/)
- **Film Comment**, Clinton Krute (75/100, inferred): The review is positive about Adam Sandler’s latest, finding it endearing. It singles out the surprising performances from professional basketball players. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/film-comment-recommends-hustle-adam-sandler-review/)
- **The Guardian**, Wendy Ide (75/100, inferred): Ide finds the film conventional but well made, with enough energy and distinction to appeal beyond basketball fans. She singles out Dan Deacon’s pulsing, panicky score as a jolt of energy. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jun/05/hustle-review-adam-sandler-scores-in-rags-to-riches-tale)
- **Screen Daily**, Tim Grierson (70/100, inferred): The review presents the film as a likeable basketball drama. It singles out Adam Sandler’s effectively straight performance. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/hustle-review/5171371.article)
- **The New Yorker**, Richard Brody (65/100, inferred): Brody finds the film an earnest, sentimental sports drama whose thin character development and lack of directorial originality limit it. He praises its insider knowledge of basketball and the business around it, along with Sandler’s warm, convincing performance. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/hustle-reviewed-adam-sandlers-love-letter-to-basketball)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The URL identifies this as a New York Times review of the matching film. The article text is inaccessible, so its verdict and specific praise or complaint cannot be confirmed. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/08/movies/hustle-review.html)
- **Slant Magazine**, Keith Watson (1.5/4): Watson finds the film bogged down by clichés and underdeveloped characters. He singles out the easy chemistry between Adam Sandler and Juancho Hernangómez for praise. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/hustle-review-adam-sandler/)
- **Paste**, Jesse Hassenger (7.0): Hassenger finds the film an involving, amiable sports drama that makes effective use of Sandler’s movie-star charm. He particularly praises the plain-spoken chemistry between Sandler and Juancho Hernangómez. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/adam-sandler/hustle-review)
- **Collider**, Ross Bonaime (B): The review finds Hustle charming and affecting despite familiar sports-film clichés and an imbalance in whose story gets attention. It praises Adam Sandler’s heartfelt performance and the supportive bond he builds with Juancho Hernangomez. [Read](https://collider.com/hustle-movie-review-adam-sandler/)
- **The Wrap** (75/100, inferred): The critic finds it a smoothly predictable but warmly satisfying sports movie. They praise the energetic, immersive treatment of basketball action and Sandler’s performance. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/hustle-film-review-adam-sandler-basketball-nba-netflix/)
- **Polygon**, Robert Daniels (70/100, inferred): The critic finds Hustle effectively tender and ultimately satisfying, despite its familiar story and underdeveloped characters. Sandler and Hernangomez’s chemistry and the immersive, expertly edited basketball sequences stand out for praise. [Read](https://www.polygon.com/23158653/hustle-review-adam-sandler-netflix-basketball/)
- **/Film**, Chris Evangelista (6/10): The review finds the story predictable but charming, buoyed by its energy and style. It praises Jeremiah Zagar’s lively direction and basketball sequences, while noting that awkward cameos sometimes get in the way. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/883080/hustle-review-a-predictable-underdog-sports-story-that-still-manages-to-charm/)
- **The Playlist** (50/100, inferred): The headline suggests a mixed verdict: the basketball story is boilerplate, though Adam Sandler brings game. The accessible page provides no further details about what the critic praises or criticizes. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/hustle-review-adam-sandlers-got-game-in-boilerplate-basketball-flick-20220602/?offset=0)
- **Consequence**, Sam Rosenberg (35/100, inferred): The critic finds the film earnest but formulaic, undercooked, and ultimately forgettable. The slickly edited training montages are singled out as its most entertaining element. [Read](https://consequence.net/2022/06/hustle-review-adam-sandler-netflix/)

## Details

- **Director:** Jeremiah Zagar
- **Director:** Jeremiah Zagar
- **Writer:** Will Fetters, Taylor Materne
- **Cinematography:** Zak Mulligan
- **Editor:** Tom Costain, Brian M. Robinson
- **Music:** Dan Deacon
- **Production design:** Perry Andelin Blake
- **Costume design:** Johnetta Boone
- **Producer:** Jeff Kirschenbaum, LeBron James, Joe Roth
- **Cast:** Adam Sandler as Stanley Sugerman; Queen Latifah as Teresa Sugerman; Juancho Hernangómez as Bo Cruz; Ben Foster as Vince Merrick; Kenny Smith as Leon; Anthony Edwards as Kermit Wilts; Robert Duvall as Rex Merrick; Jordan Hull as Alex Sugerman
- **Runtime:** 1h 57m
- **First release (Brazil):** 3 June 2022
- **Genres:** Drama, Comedy
- **Budget:** $21 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM4iy0reaCA

## Where to watch in Israel

- Netflix: streaming

*Checked 2026-09-24.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Uncut Gems* (2019), Fi1m 85: Sandler at the other end of the scale, wired, doomed and impossible to look away from. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/uncut-gems.md)
- *Hoop Dreams* (1994), Fi1m 92: Two Chicago boys, five years, and everything Hustle’s script leaves out about the business. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/hoop-dreams.md)
- *Moneyball* (2011), Fi1m 83: The front office as the drama, and a scout’s eye against a spreadsheet. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/moneyball.md)
- *The Damned United* (2009): A coach who knows he is better than the job, and Sheen making arrogance sympathetic.
- *Punch-Drunk Love* (2002), Fi1m 84: The first time a director saw the quiet man under the Sandler shouting. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/punch-drunk-love.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/hustle