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Netflix 'Hustle': Early critic reviews label Adam Sandler's sports drama 'solid' and 'rousing'

The response from the audience who caught the theatrical release were favorable as well as they called it a crowd pleaser

Adam Sandler's upcoming sports drama 'Hustle' received a thumbs-up from critics. The basketball drama was released in select theatres on Friday, June 3, and the early reviews have all ranged from amazing to excellent. Produced by NBA star LeBron James and Sandler, the film follows a former basketball scout who tries to resurrect his career by signing a player with a rather difficult past to play in the NBA. 

Prior to the film's release, the trailer made waves when NBA stars — Boban Marjanović, Anthony Edwards, Trae Young, Jordan Clarkson, Khris Middleton, Aaron Gordon, Kyle Lowry, Seth Curry, Tobias Harris, and Matisse Thybulle were all seen making appearances. 86% of 44 critics' reviews were positive on Rotten Tomatoes.

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"There’s pleasure and poignancy watching Sandler in Hustle as basketball scout Stanley Sugarman, a man whose infectious passion for the sport keeps hitting a wall of defeat," wrote David Rooney for The Hollywood Reporter. The Guardian's Wendy Ide called it a rags-to-riches tale and praised the filmmaking for being distinctive. IndieWire called it a 'solid' basketball drama, while Variety labeled it 'rousing'. IGN Africa's Matt Fowler said, "The soft downside of Hustle is that it's unnervingly conventional, and at times it goes overboard with its use of famous faces, but in the end, it's still an effective, traditional underdog movie that hits all the right notes and allows Sandler to be weary, grumpy, and clever all at once."

Twitter reviews from fans were equally positive as well. "#HustleNetflix thank you for making a Jerry Maguire-esque movie about the greatest sport in the greatest city. So cool to see every detail that makes Philadelphia special. You got a fan for life @juanchiviris41 Highly recommend for any core basketball fan," one of the fans opined. This was seconded by another who tweeted: "#HustleNetflix was amazing!! Adam Sandler is amazing as always, and he gives one of his strongest performances and Juancho Hernangomez was so good! A great crowd pleaser!"

"No i didn’t weep throughout #HustleNetflix because of Adam Sandler’s performance or my complicated childhood, why do you ask? @AdamSandlernseriously though, what an incredible film. I was expecting to love it and was still blown away," one of the fans remarked.

'Hustle' releases June 8 on Netflix.