Adam Sandler stars in his latest Netflix production Hustle, a combination of Sandler’s best serious and silly movies. Striking a perfect balance of drama and comedy, Sandler combines the two tones in beautiful harmony. Known for succeeding in the two genres at the box office, Sandler will prove that Hustle can give the best of both worlds.
Netflix is bringing the basketball drama to select theaters, plus a premiere on the streaming service June 8. Produced by Adam Sandler and superstar LeBron James, Hustle follows a legacy of feel-good sports-centered award winners like Rocky and Jerry Maguire. The Saturday Night Live veteran saw extraordinary success with sports comedies in the 1990s. Fortunately, Hustle director Jeremiah Zagar borrowed elements of Sandler’s serious films, as well as goofy plots often associated with the comic actor’s filmography.
Taking command of another wisely-chosen role, Netflix’s Hustle combines Adam Sandler’s best movies — both silly and serious. The Waterboy (1998) solidified how fun Sandler could be in a sports role. The film fits very nicely into the peak era of Sandler’s comedic reign at the box office. Following the success of Happy Gilmore (1996), the actor conjured up the winning formula of Sandler plus sports equals success. Hustle is reminiscent of Oscar-worthy performances like Sandler’s sports-betting drama Uncut Gems (2019) by the Safdie Bros. Hustle continues the comedian’s serious edge with help from an all-star cast, placing Sandler ahead of his other films by combining their greatness into one satisfying package.
Ultimately, Hustle follows Adam Sandler as Stanley “Sugarman” Beren, finding himself caught in the ups and downs of being a Philadelphia talent scout. Mirroring many famous Adam Sandler career roles, Hustle benefits from seeing his character down on his luck. This opportunity of playing a complex character gives Sandler another shot to showcase his knack for the dramatic. Luckily, Hustle sees Sandler working with funny talent like Queen Latifah to round out the comedy for a wider appeal. While Happy Gilmore was the genesis for Sandler sports movies, it was arguably Sandler’s best comedy to date. Later, Sandler learned to embrace his dramatic side in 2002’s Punch-Drunk Love and 2006’s Click, while still keeping the stories in a whimsical space.
Hustle also sees past Oscar contenders who fit right in with Sandler’s serious side of acting in movies. For example, Ben Foster and Robert Duvall add the necessary gravitas to the ensemble cast of Hustle as 76ers executives. On top of that, real-life NBA star Juancho Hernangómez helps amplify the film’s strength in bringing realistic, solid performances. Undoubtedly, serious characters work exceptionally well in Sandler’s dramatic film roles. Sandler hits the mark in Netflix’s sports drama, as illustrated in Hustle’s trailer, by bringing a familiar level of intensity to his character Stanley. Particularly as Howard Ratner in Uncut Gems, Sandler’s more intense roles have become some of his best work. Netflix’s Hustle has combined the best of Sandler’s serious and silly movies as he commands the emotional role with professionalism. Adam Sandler’s Oscar-level success in his genre-hopping career proves how both sides are always welcome.