After the to Ocean's 8 in 2018, movie-goers were crossing their fingers for Hustlers to deliver the empowering female-led heist film the world so sorely needs.
And if early reviews and social media hype are anything to go by, the Jennifer Lopez flick is set to exceed all expectations.
Set against the backdrop of the 2008 economic collapse, the film, which is released in Australia on October 10, tells the story of a stripper named Destiny (Constance Wu), who befriends her club's top earner, Ramona (Jennifer Lopez), to con wealthy Wall Street types and make some big bucks.
Safe to say, we can't wait - for more reason than one.
1. Firstly, the cast is incredible
Hustlers is already proving to be a masterclass in diverse, clever casting. Not only does the film star Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Keke Palmer and Lili Reinhart, it also serves up a dash of nostalgia in the shape of 10 Things I Hate About You star Julia Stiles.
Oh - and Cardi B makes her film debut.
AND Lizzo?!
Sign us all the way up.
2. It's already killing it at the box office
While falling short of taking out the no. 1 spot on the US box office, Hustlers made a remarkable splash on its opening weekend - becoming the of Jennifer Lopez's career.
According to, the film raked in an estimated USD$33 million on its opening weekend, which was enough to take it to the no. 2 position nationally.
Not only that, but the film's audience was overwhelmingly made up of women, something that, according to one Twitter fan, proves that "grown-as women will pay $$$ to see grown-ass women on screen."
3. It was written and directed by a woman
Writer and director Lorene Scafaria went from a relatively unknown creative powerhouse to delivering what some are calling . Having previously written films including Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and directed a number of TV projects including tele-movie This Is Heaven, Hustlers represents a powerful career uptick for Scafaria - one that, excitingly, is set firmly in the female gaze.
From page to screen, Scafaria's passion for the movie is evident nowhere more-so than her decided casting of Jennifer Lopez, who the director said she "chased" to be involved.
"In a way, Hustlers ended up being a love letter to Jennifer without knowing it when I was writing it," she told .
"Obviously, she knows New York and this time period. She's an incredible dancer, of course. I've been a fan of her work for so long. You could watch her in any role. She's such a singular actor, such a singular performer. I just knew it had to be her."
4. The celebration of trans women
stars in the film, playing a stripper, in what she describes as a "full circle moment". Lysette's casting is particularly great because the actress used to work as a stripper, even stripping to subsidise her income while shooting the first season of Transparent.
The role, which she secured after tweeting that she'd like to be involved and hearing back from writer/director Lorene Scafaria, means a lot to members of the trans community, who are yet to see themselves regularly reflected in complex on-screen roles.
“I get messages every day from trans youth telling me how important it is that they can see an actual trans body on TV and how much it means for them that a trans actor is playing a trans role because they can finally see themselves,”
“So many trans people are just trying to be seen for who they really are in true depictions that are sometimes so elusive in Hollywood. I really take the messages to heart; it lets me know that my job is worthwhile.”
5. The depiction of nuanced friendship between women
"When you have women characters at the front of it, it's a whole other battle."
That's when asked about the challenges of making movies that centre and celebrate women. The fact that Hustlers has managed to achieve just that, while also depicting sex work and stripping in an empowering light, is reason enough to buy a ticket.
It's clear that the film's cast are passionate about the subject, with Wu saying it's her dream to make projects "led by women and about women that have been marginalised".
As one viewer tweeted: "You can instantly tell Hustlers was made by women because it treats female friendships, J Lo’s dramatic chops and Usher’s dimples with exactly the amount of reverence they all deserve."
Enough said, really.
You can watch the trailer for Hustlers below:
