Overview
A con artist's world of deception and danger unfolds in a high-stakes game of power.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- sardonic
- frantic
- crime movie night
- adult ensemble drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as riotously funny, visually vibrant, and impeccably cast despite an overcomplicated, occasionally sprawling plot.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Irving and Sydney's con operation is recruited and manipulated by Richie as part of an FBI sting involving politicians and organized crime.
The film emphasizes elaborate 1970s hairstyles, clothing, interiors, and expressive camera movement across its criminal and political worlds.
Irving and Sydney construct identities for scams while navigating competing relationships, loyalties, and expectations.
The central characters pursue money, status, political influence, and escape from constraining lives through increasingly risky schemes.
Films like American Hustle, and why
The Wolf of Wall Street
shared 1970s crime setting, charismatic con artists, black humor, and energetic ensemble performances
The Big Short
shared crime-comedy tone, morally compromised characters, elaborate deception, and stylish period atmosphere
Goodfellas
shared Scorsese-influenced crime energy, mob entanglements, volatile personalities, and darkly comic ambition
The Sting
shared heist structure, shifting loyalties, romantic tension, and performance-driven criminal schemes
Movie Details
- Director
- David O. Russell
- Release Date
- 2013-12-12
- Runtime
- 138 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (7922)
Cast
- Christian Bale
- Bradley Cooper
- Amy Adams
- Jeremy Renner
- Jennifer Lawrence
- Louis C.K.
- Jack Huston
- Michael Peña
- Shea Whigham
- Alessandro Nivola
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is American Hustle about?
- A flamboyant con man and his partner are pulled into an FBI sting where political ambition, mob power, and volatile personal loyalties turn deception into spectacle.
- What is American Hustle like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of American Hustle as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is American Hustle violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in American Hustle as mild.
- What did critics think of American Hustle?
- Critics broadly praised the film as riotously funny, visually vibrant, and impeccably cast despite an overcomplicated, occasionally sprawling plot.
- Which films are like American Hustle?
- Films with a similar feel include The Wolf of Wall Street, The Big Short, Goodfellas, and The Sting.
- How long is American Hustle?
- American Hustle runs 138 minutes.
- Where can I watch American Hustle?
- In United States, American Hustle streams on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel.
