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Hustle & Flow

Hustle & Flow

Crime · Drama · Music · 2005

With help from his friends, a Memphis pimp in a mid-life crisis attempts to become a successful hip-hop emcee.

Movie details

Hustle & Flow

“Everybody gotta have a dream.”

2005 Crime · Drama · Music 1h 56m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.2 / 10

Community rating

With help from his friends, a Memphis pimp in a mid-life crisis attempts to become a successful hip-hop emcee.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Hustle & Flow?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Performance.

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The Krays

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Craig Brewer

Written by

Craig Brewer

Terrence Howard

Terrence Howard

Djay

Anthony Anderson

Anthony Anderson

Key

Taryn Manning

Taryn Manning

Nola

Taraji P. Henson

Taraji P. Henson

Shug

DJ Qualls

DJ Qualls

Shelby

Ludacris

Ludacris

Skinny Black

Paula Jai Parker

Paula Jai Parker

Lexus

Court is in session

Put Hustle & Flow on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.