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Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: Of course it manipulates us; most movies do. But it does so with such sincere, funky confidence that I loved just about every minute of it. Read more
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: What makes the picture sail past its flaws is its earnest understanding of the desperation that drives people to regain control of their lives -- and the profound courage required to attempt it. Read more
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: Every now and then, Brewer pulls off a near-miracle with his flinty characters: He lets us, for a moment, slip into their lives -- and sing their song. Read more
Allison Benedikt, Chicago Tribune: Happily for all involved, it's still pretty good, with a leading performance by Terrence Howard that is that good. Read more
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: So much love went into Hustle & Flow that it almost glows with it. Read more
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: It's kind of a conventional story, but it's told in such a unique way and the locations in Memphis all feel very authentic. Read more
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: One of those terrific out-of-the-blue movies that come along every so often. Read more
Larry Rodgers, Arizona Republic: Hustle & Flow uses its street smarts to show that dreams come in all shapes and sizes and that their realization sometimes is preceded by nightmares. Read more
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: Some will rightly find it corny, absurd, and an insultingly limited presentation of options for the most disenfranchised African-Americans: I'm still waiting for the movie fantasy about the pimp who wants to get his GED. Read more
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: Hustle & Flow unfolds in the satisfying fashion of classic Hollywood movies that strike a balance between grit and heart, capturing the hard edge of poverty and lack of opportunity but also offering a ray of hope for a better life. Read more
Houston Chronicle: This is Howard's show. His DJay is intense, with blue sky dreams other than pimping and living in Memphis. Read more
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: We're drawn to the exotic inside portrait of a flyweight urban hustler who knows how to cast a spell. Read more
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: A sort of Rocky for ambitious street hustlers, Hustle & Flow traffics in the risky business of making prostitution seem not quite as bad as the hip-hop world, and it conjures a sticky mix of urban grit and Hollywood schmaltz. Read more
Scott Foundas, L.A. Weekly: Dolemite and Super Fly weren't exactly ennobling role models, but they were fighting a good fight against an oppressive system, whereas DJay is resisting what exactly? Getting a real job? Read more
Gene Seymour, Newsday: Howard's been knocking on stardom's door for some time now, and Hustle & Flow should seal the deal. Read more
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: As the film's anti-hero hero, though, Howard never compromises at all. Read more
David Edelstein, NPR's Fresh Air: What's missing in this self-proclaimed story of redemption, though, is something other than a fairy-tale finale. It's the sense that the filmmaker understands the consequences of exploiting women even if his protagonist doesn't. Read more
Jami Bernard, New York Daily News: Unlikely as this may sound, Hustle & Flow -- about a low-down Memphis pimp who wants to be a rapper -- is the feel-good movie of the summer. Read more
A.O. Scott, New York Times: Craig Brewer's first feature film is a volatile mixture of slickness and sincerity, hard-edged naturalism and sheer show-business hokum. Read more
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: The movie is too corny to be edgy, and too hard-core to be uplifting. Read more
James Berardinelli, ReelViews: It celebrates art, hope, and dreams, and you don't have to like hip-hop to appreciate the message or the way in which it is delivered. Read more
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Terrence Howard modulates Djay with great love and consideration for the character. He never cheapens him, or condescends. He builds him inside-out. Read more
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com: Hustle & Flow suspends you in its spell of mood, of feeling, of climate. It's a pop picture that finds its richness in peeling down to the essentials of good storytelling. Read more
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: The film's supporting characters are as rich as the lead, each one of them chasing an unlikely dream. Read more
J.D. Considine, Globe and Mail: While the plot avoids the most obvious happy-ending cliches, it stays unnecessarily close to the pimps 'n hos mythology of crunk hits, and that's particularly discomfiting if you happen to believe that women are people, too. Read more
Malene Arpe, Toronto Star: It's all good. The story, the characters, the music, acting. Read more
Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine: It boasts a seductive lead performance and the best ensemble cast since Ray. Read more
Claudia Puig, USA Today: Howard takes a character that might have been a caricature and makes him real -- sometimes icy, sometimes fiery, sometimes slick, sometimes passionate. Read more
Todd McCarthy, Variety: Exhibits an undeniable confidence that permeates its every aspect. Read more
Laura Sinagra, Village Voice: There's something wrong with Hustle. A bad aftertaste, and not just the dry grit of Memphis dust, but something meaner. A feeling that Brewer's sensibility is way off. Read more
Desson Thomson, Washington Post: A surprisingly charming story that -- in certain sections -- almost crystallizes into the sweetness of a Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland musical. Read more
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: Watching as a pimp, a pothead and a pregnant hooker play and sing in a makeshift bedroom recording studio, and becoming increasingly caught up in their determination and hope, it's impossible not to think that this is a part of the American Dream, too. Read more