Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu shine as strippers-turned-con artists in 'Hustlers'

• "Hustlers" is inspired by a 2015 article that profiled a group of former strippers who conned Wall Street men out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
• The film stars Lili Reinhart, Jennifer Lopez, Keke Palmer, and Constance Wu, and also features Cardi B and Lizzo. 
• While calling "Hustlers" a feel good movie might be a bit of a stretch, the film has some seriously heartfelt moments in between portraying the sexy, glitzy world of high-end strip clubs. 
• And among the star-studded cast, JLo and Constance Wu in particular give standout performances. 
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A modern-day Robin Hood story that was inspired by a 2015 article in New York Magazine, "Hustlers" focuses on a group of strippers-turned-grifters who are desperate to make money off of unsuspecting Wall Street men.

Jennifer Lopez plays Ramona, the leader of the group, and Constance Wu plays Destiny, a stripper new to the scene who Ramona takes under her wing. Keke Palmer and Lili Reinhart round out the group, with Cardi B and Lizzo appearing in supporting roles. 

Read more: Jennifer Lopez says stripping in 'Hustlers' made her feel 'terrified': 'I felt exposed'

While it's easy to dismiss the film as a fun and sexy heist movie, "Hustlers" has plenty of heart, and is a powerful testament to the resourcefulness of women, especially women of color and sex workers. 

Why you should care: It's inspired by a bonkers true story. 

While the plot might seem like it came straight from Hollywood, "Hustlers" was actually inspired by a true story. In 2015, New York Magazine site The Cut published an article, written by staff writer Jessica Pressler, that told the story of former strippers who were able to con rich and powerful Wall Street men out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

The movie version of "Hustlers" diverges a bit from Pressler's article — after all, the opening credits say the film was "inspired by a true story." But most of the core elements of the New York Magazine story are there, including certain debauched acts that seemed a bit too outrageous to be true. And the script for "Hustlers" even includes lines lifted directly from the article — like when a customer praises Destiny for her "perfect penmanship." 

What's hot: Constance Wu and JLo give standout performances, and the film portrays sex workers in a non-stereotypical light. 

Even though the film features a pretty star-studded cast, both Lopez and Wu give particularly strong performances as Ramona and Destiny, respectively.

Both characters are mothers, and their focus on their children gives some heart to what would otherwise be a morally ambiguous story — for while disadvantaged strippers stealing from powerful men doesn't seem as deplorable in our post-Me Too era, it's not exactly the most honorable way to even the score. 

But Lopez and Wu show that it's not just about the money, it's about creating a better life for their children. Dedicated mothers doing anything to support their children also veers into stereotype territory, but as Ramona and Destiny, Lopez and Wu do an excellent job of balancing the slightly-clichéd hedonism of strip clubs with some genuinely heartfelt moments. 

And while sex workers, especially sex workers of color, are often glorified solely for their bodies and sexuality, Lopez and Wu show that there's plenty else a determined woman can do — including make off with hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

Palmer, Reinhart, Cardi B, and Lizzo are also phenomenal in the film. Even though Cardi and Lizzo aren't in the movie for that long, they still manage to make an impact. Lizzo in particular is at her finest while she's dancing joyously to Usher, or playing her signature flute, and Cardi mines her stripper past for some unforgettable moves. 

What's not: The 2008 recession is kind of glossed over, even though it ends up being a major plot point in the film. 

The film's turning point comes circa 2008, when the Wall Street crash and subsequent recession lead to fewer paying customers in the clubs. To make ends meet, Ramona and her crew decide to start scamming, which leads to a whole other set of problems. 

But even though the recession is what really causes the entire scheme to fall into place, it's not really given a lot of screen time amid the glitz and glamour of the strip clubs. 

A little more time spent lingering on the effects of the 2008 crash could have given the film even more heft. While the crash isn't the sole reason the women begin scamming — they want to provide for their children, first and foremost, and there's also the economic disadvantage most women, especially women of color and sex workers, face — it's definitely the catalyst.  

The bottom line: 'Hustlers' is a sexy and heartfelt film that gives sex workers a fair shake — and its stars a chance to really shine. 

Despite the plot, "Hustlers" doesn't really glorify robbing rich men — yes, Ramona and crew make it look admittedly pretty fun for a while, but eventually, it takes a toll on the women. There's only so many misogynistic men that the women can deal with — and after dealing with some seriously shady customers, their bust by police almost comes as a relief. 

Instead of glorifying robbery, "Hustlers" quietly questions the economic and social systems that put these women in that position in the first place. After all, in a society in which women (especially women of color and sex workers) are routinely disenfranchised and downtrodden, what is there left to do except fight back against the system? 

Or, as Ramona says to Destiny when she's trying to convince her to join their post-recession heist: "The game is rigged, and it doesn't reward people who play by the rules." So these women decide to break the rules — and have a whole lot of fun doing it. 

Grade: A

"Hustlers" premieres Friday, and you can watch the trailer below.

• Read more:
• Jennifer Lopez shared a behind-the-scenes video of herself training to play a stripper in 'Hustlers,' and it shows that stripping is even harder than it looks
• Jennifer Lopez plays a stripper out for revenge in the star-studded trailer for her new movie 'Hustlers'
• The director of 'Hustlers' describes the 3-year struggle to make her gritty gangster movie, and not let it turn into 'Ocean's 8 with strippers'

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