American Hustle

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American Hustle

R

Released Dec 20, 2013

2h 18m

Crime

Drama

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Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

294 Reviews

74%

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100,000+ Ratings

Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) dabbles in forgery and loan-sharking, but when he falls for fellow grifter Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), things change in a big way. Caught red-handed by FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper), Irv and Sydney are forced to work under cover as part of DiMaso's sting operation to nail a New Jersey mayor (Jeremy Renner). Meanwhile, Irv's jealous wife (Jennifer Lawrence) may be the one to bring everyone's world crashing down. Based on the 1970s Abscam case.

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Critics Consensus

Riotously funny and impeccably cast, American Hustle compensates for its flaws with unbridled energy and some of David O. Russell's most irrepressibly vibrant direction.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

It's enjoyable and fun to watch, but just barely touches the surface of its own narrative.

Rated: B-

Sep 6, 2017

Full Review

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

metro.co.uk

It's a sly film that slips through your fingers, leaving the glitter of great performances, but one you'll be hustling to watch again.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 6, 2017

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Jason Bailey

Flavorwire

A movie as smart as 'American Hustle' knows that those tactile pleasures only matter if they're attached to some kind of emotional resonance.

Jun 18, 2016

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Allison Rose

FlickDirect

From acting to directing and costumes to sets, American Hustle offers the total package as far as filmmaking goes.

Rated: 4.5/5

May 29, 2024

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

“American Hustle” is more of a showcase of great actors than it is great storytelling, but it still keeps you glued to the screen as you watch them do their work.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 19, 2022

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Russell manages to make these characters at once despicable and loveable, complicated and weighty, none of them irredeemable, each of them incurably watchable.

Rated: 4/4

Aug 19, 2022

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Alli S

Never watched it when it came out, but decided to do so on a whim. Amazing acting especially from Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, and Christian Bale. Yes, it circles back and ends “happily,” but it was a pleasure to watch; I enjoyed it thoroughly. It was very nice to see women characters figure so strongly in the plotline. And it was fun to catch the DeNiro stock mob boss cameo, speaking Arabic no less.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/31/25

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Jacob B

Slick, stylish, clever and owing a lot to Martin Scorsese, this is one of the best main stream films of the 2010s. The performances of the cast (especially those of Jennifer Lawrence and Christian Bale, despite a regrettable and unconvincing fat suit and skull cap) are outstanding and the script crackles like a screwball comedy from the 1930’s: literate, revealing and incredibly funny. I just hope that the director sent Scorsese a Thank You card for ripping off his trademark style.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/12/25

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Omid S.

Amazing the cast is great. Christian bale does it again from beginning to the end.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/08/25

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Gareth v

American Hustle is a stylish, swaggering crime drama that thrives on its charisma, sharp direction, and powerhouse performances. What this movie lacks in tight pacing or narrative discipline, it makes up for with personality and panache.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/07/25

Full Review

Nashville I.

A wonderful and unique experience that incredibly is able to take you through lust, comedy, suspense, melancholy, and excitement all so convincingly. This script was expertly written and sequenced to give audiences such a nuanced combination of feelings while telling such a fun story that’s not one dimensional at all. Christian Bale’s emotionally versatile yet hilarious character fills out a perfectly cast film that anyone, regardless of taste, is guaranteed to love.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/15/25

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Dana B

An entertainingly audacious movie that will doubtless be compared to The Wolf of Wall Street because of the similarity in tone and themes, but this time around David O. Russell has almost out-Scorsese'd Scorsese.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/25/25

Full Review

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David O. Russell

Director

Christian Bale

Irving Rosenfeld

Bradley Cooper

Richie DiMaso

Jeremy Renner

Mayor Carmine Polito

Amy Adams

Sydney Prosser

Jennifer Lawrence

Rosalyn Rosenfeld

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Synopsis

Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) dabbles in forgery and loan-sharking, but when he falls for fellow grifter Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), things change in a big way. Caught red-handed by FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper), Irv and Sydney are forced to work under cover as part of DiMaso's sting operation to nail a New Jersey mayor (Jeremy Renner). Meanwhile, Irv's jealous wife (Jennifer Lawrence) may be the one to bring everyone's world crashing down. Based on the 1970s Abscam case.

Director: David O. Russell
Producer: Charles Roven, Richard Suckle, Megan Ellison, Jonathan Gordon
Screenwriter: Eric Warren Singer, David O. Russell
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co: Fundamental Films, Columbia Pictures, Annapurna Pictures, Atlas Entertainment
Rating: R (Pervasive Language|Brief Violence|Some Sexual Content)
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 20, 2013, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 11, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $150.1M
Runtime: 2h 18m
Sound Mix: Datasat, SDDS, Dolby Digital

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