If you feel like you’ve worked your way through all of Hannah Waddingham’s dramas, including her latest fantastic performances in Ted Lasso and Ride Or Die, we’ve unearthed a lesser-known Hollywood gem: The Hustle. The flawless crime drama sees Waddingham make a brief but brilliant appearance – and it’s a 10/10 performance you’ll want to make time for this week.
The film reimagines the 1988 hit Dirty Rotten Scoundrels but replaces the male leads with the female double-act you didn’t know you needed: Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson. They play two professional con artists swindling in a fancy French Riviera resort who find themselves in a turf war, and what unfolds is pure light-hearted escapism.
Intrigued? With the film available to watch now, here’s everything you need to know about The Hustle, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is The Hustle about?
The film, which premiered in 2019, is a female-led reimagining of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and follows two con women, Josephine Chesterfield (Anne Hathaway) and Penny Rust (Rebel Wilson), who scam rich male holidaymakers out of their fortunes in the French Riviera. But there’s a slight problem – there’s only room for one trickster on the southern coastline.
While Penny is a brash Australian catfisher who uses stories of her fake attractive sister to lure men in, her rival Josephine is an upper-class British woman with more sophisticated methods. Eventually, the feuding pair come to an agreement – the first woman who manages to steal $500,000 from tech mogul Thomas Westerburg (Alex Sharp) can remain in Beaumont-sur-Mer – with the loser agreeing to leave the beautiful resort for good.
Along the way, the pair outdo each other with their incessant plotting and battles, while meeting a string of eclectic characters. One of the most memorable interactions is with Shiraz (Hannah Waddingham), who we meet as part of a loud-mouthed gaggle of women who confront Josephine in a nightclub. While her scene is only short, it’s one of the funniest parts of the drama – with Waddingham like we’ve never seen her before, adopting an Essex accent and a vaping habit.
Who’s in the cast of The Hustle?
The cast of The Hustle includes:
- Anne Hathaway (The Odyssey, The Devil Wears Prada 2) as Josephine Chesterfield
- Timothy Simons (Nobody Wants This) as Jeremy
- Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect) as Penny Rust
- Douggie McMeekin (Joy) as Jason
- Ashley McGuire (This Country) as Policewoman
- Alex Sharp (Living) as Thomas Westerburg
- Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso, Winter Ridge, Ride Or Die) as Shiraz
Is The Hustle any good?
Yes – while it’s not exactly a mind-stretching thriller, it’s a brilliant dose of escapism set against the stunning backdrop of the Côte D’Azur, and Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson make a formidable double-act! Hathaway’s portrayal of an upper-class British woman, along with Wilson’s trademark dry Australian humour, make it an extremely fun watch and the perfect way to lose yourself for an hour and a half.
Is there a trailer for The Hustle?
Yes – you can watch the full trailer for Hustle below.
How can I watch The Hustle?
The drama is available to stream now on Prime Video.
What other crime dramas can I watch now?
For something equally as light-hearted and cosy, try The Chelsea Detective. We follow Detective Inspector Max Arnold (Adrian Scarborough), who’s a tad different from the wealthy residents he helps out, as he cracks puzzling cases in the upmarket west London borough. The Chelsea Detective is available to stream now on U. For a darker crime drama, we’d suggest the six-part detective series River, which follows Detective Inspector John River (Stellan Skarsgård), who’s investigating the murder of his close colleague, Detective Sergeant Jackie ‘Stevie’ Stevenson (Nicola Walker). But River continues to speak to Stevie after her death through ghostly apparitions, along with other figures connected to his cases… You can watch River now on ITVX.
