Hustlers (2019)

Heist movies are fun and have a very strong appeal. writer/director Lorene Scafaria has embraced her genre by telling a tantalizing caper that is stylish and colourful and a fun trip. She also embraces her subject, making her strippers fully realized women who are in control of their lives in the way the men who are usually the stars of these sorts of stories are in control of theirs. Her stars are sexy and smart and talk like adults. She's made a film starring women of colour who live in the real world and make their own dream fantasy out of it.

Scafaria doesn't sugar coat her heroes. They aren't Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. They are living breathing adult women who live in a world that treats them as a commodity and find a way to make that work for them. We're used to seeing men do this. They can behave "badly" and be heroes. These women take that on.

The set up is classic heist. We get to meet our heroes, their situation presents them being desperate enough to cross a line, and the opportunity to take advantage of bad marks. And then the plan goes into place and we're along for the ride. But perhaps Scafaria understands that this sort of fantasy doesn't play out like it does in the movies and decides her movie is too honest to play tricks at the end. So she rounds out her story in a way that's a bit more realistic then the Oceans' movies.

With a cast doing some of their best work and the film maker at the top of her game (so far) Hustlers turns out to be a winner.

Hustlers 
Starring: Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Styles, Keke Palmer, Lizzo, Cardi B, Mercedes Ruehl, Usher
Writer/Director: Lorene Scafaria