The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is underway and there’s a lot of buzz surrounding STXFilm’s Hustlers. Jennifer Lopez’s performance, as the confident veteran stripper and con woman, is being declared the best performance of her career. The film is based on true events, where the exotic dancers of a high-end Manhattan strip club, con their Wall Street clients amidst the 2008 financial crisis. It’s a rich film with many themes, but focuses on leveling the playing field with strong women forcing a shift in the status quo. We’ve put together a primer of weekend binges and movies like Hustler’s streaming on Netflix right now. So whether you’re rushing to theaters on release day this September 13th or simply curious about the film, we’ve got your Netflix playlist ready.

GLOW

Set in Los Angeles during the 1980s, an unemployed actress hopes to find stardom by portraying a female wrestler.

Beyond the similarities in sexuality and performing art, Netflix's GLOW, now in its third season, is about women working within a broken system. The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling are treated less than the value they add to the product, some are sexually harassed with the promise of advancement. It's a problem that persists even today, but certainly one the women of Hustlers navigate daily. By season 3, there's a sense of sisterhood forming that continues to elevate the brand, but there's a patriarchy forming that could derail future success.

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Dumplin'

Dumplin' is the plus-size, teenage daughter of a former beauty queen, who signs up for her mom's pageant as a protest that escalates when other contestants follow her footsteps, revolutionizing the pageant and their small Texas town.

Dumplin' stars Jennifer Aniston and Danielle Macdonald, the latter of which surprised me in the aspiring female rapper movie Pattie Cake$. To a more nuanced degree, Macdonald brings that no-nonsense get-it-done attitude to Willowdean "Dumplin'" Dickson , a teenager fed up with her mother's neglect and obsession with the beauty pageant circuit. She gets back at her in the best possible way and that of which is much more palpable than the approach of Netflix's fat-shaming series Insatiable. Much of this film and Hustlers is inspired by Dolly Parton and 9 to 5.

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Shameless

A scrappy, fiercely loyal Chicago family makes no apologies.

Fiona (played by Emmy Rossum) is the eldest of six siblings living in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Chicago. She's constantly fighting an uphill battle against an abusive patriarchy, also known as, a father with a crippling alcohol addiction. Everyday she organizes the brood (to her own detriment) in order to keep a roof over their heads, utilities humming, and food on the table. Sometimes (most of the time) that means scheming, or stealing anything not nailed down. But no matter how hard they hustle, Frank (William H. Macy) is there to dismantle their house of cards. Shameless is embarking on its tenth season on Showtime this fall, but all nine previous seasons are streaming on Netflix right now.

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I Don't Feel at Home in this World Anymore

Fed up with the human indecency she sees around her and set off by her home being burglarized, Ruth teams up with her martial arts-crazed neighbor to exact vengeance. However, the duo soon finds themselves deep into a world they know little about.

I Don't Feel at Home in this World Anymore is an official Sundance selection starring Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood. If there's one thing you watch on this list, this is the one to add to your queue. Ruth (Lynskey) is officially over the edge, especially after her home is robbed. Who can blame her, especially in today's hate-filled climate. It's an environment that pushes her into a life of crime and offers viewers a darkly comedic crime thriller worthy of a weekend watch.

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Hustlers

Articles by
Chris Giroux
Movie Reelist Contributor: Chris Giroux
Chris Giroux is founder and editor-in-charge at Movie Reelist, an entertainment news and review blog serving the most fanatic moviegoers. Chris started his publication in Detroit in 2010 and has since reviewed hundreds of films and interviewed numerous talent across the country. He is an avid film festival attendee and red carpet photographer, having shot the likes of Steven Spielberg, Bill Murray, Mark Hamill, and more. Chris grew up in New Mexico, where he studied mass media writing while working in post-production and multimedia authoring. It is also where he discovered Big Trouble in Little China and Escape from New York, resulting in an unhealthy Kurt Russell obsession.

Comments

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    I can’t wait too get the hustler and it’s one of my favorite movies

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