"The Hustle" is a 2019 American comedy film directed by Chris Addison and written by Stanley Shapiro, Paul Henning, Dale Launer, and Jac Schaeffer. It is a gender-swapped remake of the 1988 film "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," which itself was a remake of the 1964 film "Bedtime Story."
The film follows two con artists, Penny Rust (Rebel Wilson) and Josephine Chesterfield (Anne Hathaway), who operate in the glamorous French Riviera. Penny is a low-rent hustler who scams men through fake online personas, while Josephine is a high-class con artist who swindles wealthy men with a variety of sophisticated schemes.
When they cross paths, Josephine sees Penny as a threat to her business and decides to mentor her in the art of high-class cons. However, their competition turns into a bet to see who can take down their next target, a young and naive tech billionaire named Thomas (Alex Sharp), first.
Throughout the film, Penny and Josephine utilize their unique skills to outdo each other, leading to a series of comedic mishaps and unexpected twists. In the end, both learn valuable lessons about trust and the importance of friendship.
The film received mixed reviews from critics, but was praised for the performances of Wilson and Hathaway, as well as the film's comedic timing and chemistry between the leads.