Hustle & Flow (2004)
Average Rating: 7.3/10
Reviews Counted: 155
Fresh: 127 | Rotten: 28
Hustle & Flow is gritty and redemptive, with a profound sense of place and exciting music.
Average Rating: 7.3/10
Critic Reviews: 40
Fresh: 32 | Rotten: 8
Hustle & Flow is gritty and redemptive, with a profound sense of place and exciting music.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 119,266
Movie Info
One man's struggle to rise above his circumstances prompts him to try a career in music in this acclaimed drama from writer and director Craig Brewer. Djay (Terrence Howard) is a low-level pimp and drug dealer who scraped together a living in the ghettos of Memphis, TN. Djay isn't happy with his life, and the realization that he's reached the same age when his father unexpectedly died has made him start thinking about changing his ways. Djay has always had a gift for spinning stories, and after
Watch It Now
Cast
-
Terrence Howard
Djay -
Anthony Anderson
Key -
Taryn Manning
Nola -
Taraji P. Henson
Shug -
Paula Jai Parker
Lexus -
Elise Neal
Yevette -
Isaac Hayes
Arnel -
D.J. Qualls
Shelby -
Ludacris
Skinny Black -
-
-
-
-
ADVERTISEMENT
Hustle & Flow Trailer & Photos
Friend Ratings
No Friends? Inconceivable! Log in to see what your friends have to say.
All Critics (163) | Top Critics (44) | Fresh (127) | Rotten (28) | DVD (35)
It's kind of a conventional story, but it's told in such a unique way and the locations in Memphis all feel very authentic.
Top CriticHustle & Flow suspends you in its spell of mood, of feeling, of climate. It's a pop picture that finds its richness in peeling down to the essentials of good storytelling.
Watching as a pimp, a pothead and a pregnant hooker play and sing in a makeshift bedroom recording studio, and becoming increasingly caught up in their determination and hope, it's impossible not to think that this is a part of the American Dream, too.
Every now and then, Brewer pulls off a near-miracle with his flinty characters: He lets us, for a moment, slip into their lives -- and sing their song.
Unlikely as this may sound, Hustle & Flow -- about a low-down Memphis pimp who wants to be a rapper -- is the feel-good movie of the summer.
What makes the picture sail past its flaws is its earnest understanding of the desperation that drives people to regain control of their lives -- and the profound courage required to attempt it.
Of all the exuberantly built-up beats, Taraji P. Henson's beautifully shocked and elated response to unexpectedly forming the nucleus of "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" gives "Hustle" its soul and won that song an Oscar.
For an alleged indie hit, the film is nothing if not shrewd about audience-hooking and sensory-manipulation
Edgy camerawork fails to distract from the fact that Hustle & Flow -- a hit a Sundance -- is about as edgy as the crust on Mom's apple pie.
...an inspiring and ennobling character study in which love and respect trump pure success.
Craig Brewer has a distinctive voice. He writes dialogue that authentically conveys the truth of real life while also touching on universal themes of hope and healing.
...fiercely original, thoroughly engaging...
Audiences will be seduced into setting aside their moral qualms and rooting for this hip-hop hustler.
A ghetto fabulous flick certain to generate some healthy debate as to whether it is glorifying or condemning the thug life which is so celebrated by the Hip-Hop Generation.
Peopled with gritty, unsafe and unsavoury characters from the street scape of downtown Memphis, Hustle and Flow probes keenly into the crunk subculture alien to Australians, yet fascinating and engaging.
Merece créditos por seus dois primeiros atos e pelas performances excelentes que oferece.
Having a dream isn't easy ...
Brewer's failures in the last thirty minutes overwhelm everything he got right in the first ninety.
An involving and fun tale of redemption with many fine musical moments as well an enjoyable subplot involving the rotund Key and his understandably skeptical wife.
While never sacrificing any of the hard-knock authenticity and specificity of his characters and their milieu, he has crafted a deeply felt film that can speak to and empower just about any audience.
A great turn by Terrence Howard [and] real sympathy spun like gold from Taraji P. Henson.
Howard is simply terrific as DJay - he really makes you root for his character, despite his pimping, drug-dealing ways.
Follows the traditional Hollywood rags-to-riches tale but throws in unexpected grit and top-class drama.
A perfect example of the manipulative power of a tale well told.
Great acting and writing propel this fairly straightforward drama.
It may not be very believable, but it sure is unforgettable.
Audience Reviews for Hustle & Flow
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
"Everybody gotta have a dream."
Hustle & Flow is one of those movies that I didn't want to see end. The film had a lot going for it, from a natural knowledge of the small time hustlers and dealers to the surprisingly good music; and of course there's Terrence Howard in the role that really gave him a name.
DJay is a smalltime pimp and drug dealer living in Memphis with three of his women and a small child. He's struggling with life as he enters a mid-life crisis because of a memory of his father dying at the age he is now. To try to improve his life, he begins rapping. He meets an old school friend who is now a gospel music producer, and brings him and another producer on to help make DJay's demo tape.
This movie isn't overly original in anything it is doing, but the voice is good. The dialogue hits like a hard bass beat the whole film long. Especially when the words are coming out of Howard's mouth. Howard does a phenomenal job with his dialogue and the accent of the character. He basically is this movie and with it resting on his shoulders, it succeeds.
The content isn't for everyone as there's a lot of demeaning language toward women and what not, but it can't be slandered for its content. The content is dead on and this fictional story of a hustler turned actor has a basis in real life as many rappers used to be exactly what DJay is. As far as a urban, music, crime drama goes; Hustle & Flow is an entertaining and well-made one to get into.
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
Movies Like Hustle & Flow
-
- Djay: Whoop dat trick!
Discussion Forum
Discuss Hustle & Flow on our Movie forum!
What's Hot On RT
The Other Woman Short on Laughs
Cameron Diaz's 10 Best Movies
175 cosplay pictures
Experiments Gone Wrong!
See the season's blockbusters
Latest News on Hustle & Flow
April 23, 2009:
Five Favorite Films with Terrence HowardThe Oscar-nominated actor Terrence Howard has amassed an impressive resume since making his...
March 5, 2007:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Audiences Ride with Wild Hogs at #1Moviegoers rallied behind the star-driven comedy "Wild Hogs," which raced to number one at...
March 1, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: "Wild Hogs" Aims to Run Over "Ghost Rider"One super hero on a motorcycle looks to get replaced by four middle-aged bikers at the number one...
Fresh Links
Featured
25 Best Superhero Movies
HitFix counts down the greatest hero flicks of all time.
100 Best Animated Movies
From anime to Disney, TimeOut NY breaks it all down.
Models Turned Actresses
BuzzSugar lists a number of models who left the runway for the big screen.
16 Shocking TV Moments
RollingStone recounts some of the most famous heart-stopping scenes.
Jai Courtney Talks Terminator Genesis
The Divergent stars drops some fresh details.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter!
Spice up your feed with hourly Tomatometer updates!
Featured on RT
- Critics Consensus: The Other Woman is Short On Laughs 9
- Weekly Binge: Louie 0
- Five Favorite Films with Chris Klein 3
- Video: Leslie Mann Leaves Depressing Voice Mails 1
- Cameron Diaz's 10 Best Movies 62
- Sneak Preview of Orange Is the New Black Season Two 0
- 24 Frames: Experiments Gone Wrong 0
Terrence Howard turns in a fantastic performance, utterly convincing as Djay, a pimp with musical aspirations. His character seems real, fleshed out, and interesting, and Howard's work carries the film.
The story is fairly basic, but I think the biggest problem is its misogyny. The filmmakers have to be aware of the ridiculous irony inherent in having a prostitute sing "Whoop that trick!" or "It's hard out here from a pimp." It's too ironic to be unintentional, yet I can't figure out what the intention is. After all, the film identifies with Djay's journey to such a degree that I have a hard time thinking of this film as satire, and trying to prove that prostitutes become agents in their own denigration isn't a productive insight.
Overall, this film is worth seeing if only for Terrence Howard.