There’s a good chance you watched Hustle this past weekend or thought about it. The movie is getting huge viewership on Netflix and is reviewing super well. That’s no surprise because trends are showing people want feel-good content right now, and this movie is it.

Written by Will and Taylor Materne. Hustle tells the tale of Stanley Sugarman, a basketball scout who essentially bets his life on one player after a big disagreement on how he should be scouting for his team, the Philadelphia ‘76s. Director Jeremiah Zagar clearly watched a lot of Rocky in prep for this movie, but he also brings his own unique spin to the sports genre here.

Without further ado, here are 5 screenwriting takeaways from Hustle.

 
1. Embrace sports movies

Great sports movies often have a lot of tropes in common: the tale of the underdog, impossible odds, triumphant stories, so many training montages, big game moments, so many inspirational speeches. This movie has them all, and it’s not any worse off for any of them. There are moments in time in space where we need a comforting and predictable sports film just as much as we need a comforting and predictable rom-com, and Hustle is proving right now to be one of those moments.

It also turns a few tropes on its head. It takes Stanley Sugarman’s Bo Cruz (played by the excellent Juancho Hernangomez) longer to learn some hard lessons than most. Because of this, Sugarman points out: “no one can kill you when you’re already dead.” Not to mention, the final happy ending does not follow along the lines of the expected set-ups either. These small adjustments make the movie feel refreshing while also familiar, and it’s a nice touch.

 
2. Inventing new ways to shoot sports

Director Jeremiah Zagar perhaps best known for We the Animals breathes life into training montages here. There are basketball moves and drills you’ve likely never seen, and Zagar takes you into Bo Cruz’s world by putting the camera right in the players' faces, between their legs, and building a panel, so you can almost feel the ball bounce right off your face. It’s an achievement to make the tried and true feel fresh and Zagar does it with ease.

 
3. Sandler’s Stanley Sugarman

In an alternate life, one could imagine Adam Sandler living the life of Sugarman. Sandler loves basketball. That has always been clear. He had a great stand-up bit on the matter. When he mentions Wilt Chamberlain scoring 100 points in a game, he impersonates the other players: “Hey, man, pass the ball.” Then there’s his gambling addiction in Uncut Gems that’s ruining his life, but it’s clear basketball is saving Sandler’s Sugarman. When he loses his mentor and his job, it’s his love for the game that brings him back from the brink. There are also plenty of Sandlerisms in this movie to love. Watching Sandler’s Sugarman hurl insults at Bo is a joy, as is his endless self-deprecating humor. All of Sandler’s charm is on full display here, as is his love of basketball.

 
4. A basketball movie for basketball lovers

Sandler does not hesitate to bring out the star power here. There are so many cameos of basketball greats: Shaq, Barkley, Dr. J Irving, the list goes on and on, but fans of the game will likely be delighted… there’s also a fair amount of inside baseball and a close look at an unexplored aspect of the game for outsiders: the annual combine that presents untested players with talent to the pros. The movie will likely satisfy both fans and outsiders with its constant touch of authenticity.

 
5. Some great antagonists

Again, this film is full of incredible cameos and Bo Cruz’s main rival in the scouting process is portrayed by real-life basketball star Anthony Edwards. Here Edwards proves he can not only hoop, but he can also portray a fast-talking tough guy who gets under your skin within minutes on screen with his character Kermit Wilts.

Sugarman is not without his own real-life demons. Ben Foster plays Vince Merrick, son of Rex Merrick (played by Robert Duvall). When Vince inherits the team he rules it all with ego and very little heart, making Sugarman’s life hell. Either way, both these demons are super fun to watch and help flesh out this world.

 
Final Takeaway: You can stream Hustle now on Netflix.