Hustlers 2019

In 2014, Destiny (Constance Wu), a former stripper from New York City, is sitting down for an interview with Elizabeth (Julia Stiles), a journalist probing into the life of Ramona Vega (Jennifer Lopez), Destiny’s past mentor and friend. Flashing back seven years, we find Destiny, whose real name is Dorothy, working at a strip club called Moves to support her grandmother while struggling to make ends meet.

Enchanted by Ramona’s magnetic performance and impressive earnings, Destiny is lucky to catch a moment with her on the club’s rooftop. Graciously, Ramona decides to take her under her wing, creating a powerful bond as they navigate the challenges of their profession together. Under Ramona’s mentorship, Destiny experiences newfound friendship and financial relief. However, with the onset of the 2007-2008 financial crisis, their circumstances quickly deteriorate. After becoming pregnant, Destiny is forced to evict her boyfriend post-delivery, but finding stable work proves to be unattainable.

Facing harsh realities, Destiny returns to stripping, although Moves has undergone significant changes; now, the club is filled with immigrant women resorting to sex acts for cash—something Destiny refuses to do. Reuniting with Ramona, she learns about a daring new scheme. Alongside her two protégés, Mercedes (Keke Palmer) and Annabelle (Lili Reinhart), Ramona hatches a plan to target affluent men at bars, intoxicate them, and then lead them back to Moves to exploit their credit cards. Engaging in this con, Destiny is schooled in the dark art of using a mix of ketamine and MDMA to induce amnesia in their victims, a strategic deception that prevents them from reporting the crime.

As the scam thrives, the women revel in their newfound financial success. Yet, tensions rise when aggressive clients threaten Mercedes and Annabelle, prompting Destiny to suggest recruiting additional girls trained to evade substances. The fraudulent partnership proves lucrative till newer strippers begin to mimic their tactics, which infuriates Ramona. In response, she severs ties with Moves, and the group shifts to servicing clients in private settings.

As unpredictability grows within the group, Ramona starts hiring unreliable women battling addiction, a move that deeply unsettles Destiny. When a near-fatal incident with a client forces her to intervene and rush him to the hospital, the stakes become painfully real. Compounding her stress, Destiny returns home only to learn of her grandmother’s passing. At the subsequent funeral, Ramona reconciles with Destiny, vowing to safeguard her moving forward.

Back to 2014, the interview takes a tense turn when Elizabeth keeps prying about Ramona, making Destiny uncomfortable enough to halt the discussion. Later, however, she reconsiders and agrees to share the harrowing tale of how her bond with Ramona and their illegal exploits unraveled.

As their friendship frays due to Ramona’s recklessness, Destiny struggles to rationalize their criminal lifestyle. Consequences finally arrive when Dawn (Madeline Brewer), a fragile cog in their scheme, is apprehended and decides to rat out her partners. With law enforcement closing in, Destiny, Ramona, Annabelle, and Mercedes find themselves arrested. Ultimately, Destiny, driven by thoughts of her daughter, accepts a plea deal while Ramona receives five years of probation. A year later, Elizabeth encounters Ramona, who is now working a mundane retail job.

In a moment of reflection, Ramona reveals that Destiny was her one true confidante, clutching a cherished photograph of her trusted friend. As Elizabeth publishes her article, she encourages Destiny to mend fences with Ramona, aiming to restore the bond that once meant so much.