When The Hustle premiered in 2019, it arrived with high expectations. Boasting the comedic talents of powerhouses Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson, the film seemed poised for success. However, upon its release, it was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews, earning a mere 13% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and a lukewarm 44% audience rating. These numbers signaled a clear critical and commercial disappointment at the time. However, despite this initial reception, The Hustle has seen a surprising resurgence in popularity.
More than six years after its release, the film has reemerged on Prime Video’s list of Top 10 most-watched films in the United States. This unexpected return to the spotlight has prompted renewed interest in what exactly draws viewers to a film so widely dismissed by critics. Set against the picturesque backdrop of the French Riviera, The Hustle follows two mismatched con artists, Hathaway’s refined but cunning Josephine Chesterfield and Wilson’s brash but street-smart Penny Rust, as they scheme their way through a high-stakes swindle.
How Is ‘The Hustle’ Dominating Charts Despite Its Ratings?
The Hustle
- Release Date
-
May 10, 2019
- Runtime
-
94 minutes
- Director
-
Chris Addison
- Writers
-
Stanley Shapiro, Jac Schaeffer, Dale Launer, Paul Henning
Prime Video’s algorithms and viewer behavior often drive surprising hits, and The Hustle is no exception. As of July 23, 2025, the film remains firmly situated in Prime’s Top 10 movies in the U.S. While many may consider this a one-off occurrence, The Hustle‘s position is indicative of a consistent streaming habit that viewers seem locked into. With darker, more intense, drama-filled titles often taking center stage these days, The Hustle offers a light-hearted escapism that viewers crave.
The presence of Hathaway and Wilson acts like a beacon, propelling viewers who are scrolling through Prime to stop and take notice when two comedic powerhouses are front and center. The film’s breezy, sun-soaked French Riviera setting also offers escapism at its finest, providing audiences with a calming, easy-going environment to tune into. Moreover, the film has a runtime of a compact 94 minutes, making it an easy weekend pick for someone who is not in the mood for a heavy, drama-filled commitment.
What Do Viewers Actually Like About ‘The Hustle’?
Despite the critical backlash, the film’s spot on charts indicates that audiences have found something undeniably appealing about The Hustle. On Rotten Tomatoes, reviews remain mixed. Yet, many admit they did laugh more than expected, with others appreciating the light-hearted tone as comfort viewing, something that Warner Bros. may not have banked on. As critic Sarah Ksiazek writes:
“While I will not say it is not the best comedy of the year, the comedic prowess of Rebel Wilson and Anne Hathaway is top notch, and it is a film that both men and women will enjoy.”
Viewers have also found that the dynamic between Hathaway’s and Wilson’s characters plays out like a female-centric twist on classic con-flicks. The high-class grifter Josephine, who is more elegant and calculated, clashed with the energetic wild-card Penny, fueling a yin-yang energy that, for many, makes the movie work on its own terms even when the jokes tend to fall somewhat flat.

Related
Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway’s Underrated Comedy Drama Hires New Streaming Home
The 2015 comedy drama proves that experience never gets old, and it’ll be available to stream on Netflix this month.
The movie also alludes to the power of guilty pleasure. In an era dominated by prestige TV and bleak streaming dramas, The Hustle reminds audiences that it is okay to enjoy silly fluff. The film is bright, fast, and safe, with a guarantee of a wholesome ending. Strangely, there is also solace in collectively acknowledging The Hustle‘s flaws. The film may be bad, but when there is a sense of shared joke, this also becomes its own element of entertainment.
Could ‘The Hustle’s Shortcomings Be Fueling Its Popularity?
There is an entire cinematic subculture devoted to movies that are supposed to be bad. Many cult classics and midnight screenings fall within this culture. The Hustle may not have been aiming to sit in this category, but it has certainly landed there. The experience of sharing sheepish laughter over groan-worthy lines fuels communal viewing, especially online. Clips of awkward banter or cringe-worthy cons tend to find popularity on social media, drawing in viewers who are curious to know if the film is actually as bad as it is painted to be.
Moreover, although seldom spoken about, second-hand embarrassment is an effect that can be addictive. The Hustle, with its bright, breezy aesthetic paired with nightclub cons and tech-billionaire swindles, delivers this effect in spades. Once audiences drop in expecting pomp and con, they stay for the spectacle, however bad it may be.

Related
10 Best Movies on Prime You Haven’t Seen
These movies on Prime get overlooked but are very much worth adding to your queue.
In the age of streaming, critical scoring systems are not always everything, and The Hustle stands as a prime example of this. Despite being Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson’s worst movie and having a 13% mauler on Rotten Tomatoes, the film still managed to climb into Prime Video’s Top 10 List in July 2025. The film thrives on escapism, familiar star presence, and the guilty-pleasure appeal of a so-bad-it’s-good film. It is also a reminder for entertainment writers to look past scores and focus on why viewers might be clicking play on a film that has long been cast aside as a failure.
The Hustle is available to stream on Prime Video.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb