Entertainment
Jennifer Lawrence's Best R-Rated Comedy Is A Chaotic And Sexy Sting Operation
By TeeJay Small
| Published
A few months back, I found myself trawling Netflix for a good movie to put on for a group of friends. After sifting through a digital bargain bin of poorly-promoted original content, I eventually landed on a modern classic: American Hustle. I had distinct memories of catching this one in the theater back in 2013, but it hits even harder today, since political corruption seems to be a 24/7 news story in the year of our lord 2026. Unfortunately, when I went to search it back up last night for a home movie viewing, I was dismayed to see that American Hustle is no longer on Netflix at all. In fact, it’s been shelved from all streaming libraries, relegating its availability to on-demand rentals and purchases.
For those not in the know, American Hustle is a true story crime comedy written and directed by controversial filmmaker David O. Russell. The film adapts the story of an FBI sting operation that took place in New Jersey circa 1978. In bringing this bizarre investigation to life, we’re treated to an A-list cast including Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Robert De Niro, Jeremy Renner, and Jennifer Lawrence, in possibly her best role.
A Classic Caper Stacked With An A-List Cast
The narrative of American Hustle kicks off by introducing us to con artist Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale). Irving is a sleazy scam artist with a quick mouth and a hairline that’s hanging on for dear life. He works alongside a scammer named Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), to swindle art collectors and other debutants out of their inheritance money. The two are also engaged in a tawdry love affair, while Irving’s unstable wife spends her days neglected and slowly losing her marbles back home.
Right at the start of the film, FBI rising star Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) catches the dynamic duo in the midst of a rug pull, and offers them immunity in exchange for a larger arrest. Irving and Sydney agree, and begin working with Richie to entrap American politicians in a foreign investment gambit. From there, things spiral out of control, leading to a fake Arab sheikh, a chilling mafia investment, and a sting operation that lands multiple elected officials in the slammer. The whole thing is extremely baroque, even by FBI standards, especially when you know that it all really happened.
A Modern Classic That’s Been Snubbed
I won’t spoil the ending here, but suffice is to say, American Hustle is a straight up classic for a reason. The film was an instant success with critics and audiences alike, taking in $251 million at the worldwide box office on an estimated production budget of just $40 million. That’s why it’s so confusing that the film is currently unavailable to stream on any of the major outlets. You’d think HBO Max, Disney+, or Netflix would be chomping at the bit to get their hands on this thing.
American Hustle also received nearly a dozen Academy Awards, though it was ultimately snubbed in every category, so maybe this lack of streaming access is just the next logical step for an overlooked classic. In any case, you should be sure to seek this one out if you haven’t already seen it. For the time being, that means renting it on digital retailers like YouTube, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, or heading to your local brick and mortar to find a Blu-ray. Just be prepared to laugh, shed a few tears, and shake your fists in fury at the capitalist machine.
