Midnight Hustle (2023) – Review and Summary
“Midnight Hustle” may not tap into its full potential, but what it does offer someone may find interesting.
Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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General Information
| Director(s) | Elaine Del Valle |
| Screenplay By | Cate Holahan |
| Based On | N/A |
| Date Released (Tubi) | August 31, 2023 |
| Genre(s) | Crime, Drama |
| Film Length | 1 Hour 28 Minutes |
| Content Rating | Rated TV-MA |
| Noted Characters and Cast | |
| Salina | April Hernandez Castillo |
| Micky | Rob Figueroa |
| Paris | Raquel Antonia |
| Juliet | Savoy Bailey |
| Nadia | Kyle Kankonde |
What Is “Midnight Hustle” Rated And Why?
“Midnight Hustle” is Rated TV-MA and contains:
- Dialog: Nothing notable or excessive
- Violence: Gun violence
- Sexual Content: Skimpy clothes but no nudity
- Miscellaneous: Drinking
Film Summary
This content contains pertinent spoilers. Also, images and text in this post may contain affiliate links. If a purchase is made from those sites, we may earn money or products from the company.
Both Nadia and Juliet are ballet dancers. Juliet, with the support of her parents, of which her mom was a dancer, has trained in Russia and has vast opportunities. But she has fallen out of love with dance, which is a problem. Nadia, on the other hand, loves ballet, but after an injury she can’t afford surgery for, she cannot perform at her best.
Enter Paris, a friend of Juliet, who works at the Pandora Palace Strip Club. She offers Juliet an escape from her mom’s routine and offers Nadia some much-needed income. However, the ladies are dragged into society’s underbelly with the club owned by a mobster named Micky.
Character Descriptions
Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, and character descriptions may contain what can be considered spoilers.
Nadia
A talented ballerina, unlike Juliet, Nadia didn’t have the money and instruction to be the best. She had to work hard, train, and seemingly overtrain in order to keep up with those more privileged.
Juliet
With her mother being an accomplished dancer, expectations for Juliet were high, and pairing that with her parents’ finances, she lived a privileged life. However, with having to do what her parents want, when they wanted, she didn’t get to have much, if any, autonomy.
Paris
A friend of Juliet’s, she introduces Nadia and Juliet to Micky and the Pandora Palace Strip Club.
Micky
Micky is a former hitman for the mafia who is trying to run a legitimate business, but old habits die hard.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Rub.”
Salina
Salina is Nadia’s mother, who has a drinking problem but is trying her best to be a better mom to Nadia’s little sister than she was to her.
Review
Our Rating: Mixed (Divisive)
Who Is This For?
Those who want to see a drama featuring strippers, the mob,
On The Fence
Mildly Dramatic and Often Dull
While “Midnight Hustle” may include gun violence, the mob, betrayals, and things of that nature, the performances and the sense of urgency you’d think would come from people being killed, doesn’t exist here. Yes, Nadia is dealing with her mom, Salina, being a drunk and struggling to raise her sister like she did her. On top of that, she has an injury impeding her career’s progress. But these are facts that don’t feel attached to expected feelings.
In Nadia’s case, it isn’t that much better. She is a privileged girl trying to assert her autonomy, but we don’t really get to see that journey much. Yes, she gets a boyfriend, but as for exploring her first relationship without being under her mother’s eye? Never mind her and Nadia finding a lucrative job that supports them far more than what they were doing before? None of that is explored. The whole ballerinas dancing in a strip club thing is no more than a gimmick, with the mob stuff thrown in to potentially liven things up.
Recommendations
If you like this movie, we recommend:
- P-Valley
- A Ballerina’s Tale (If you wanna learn about the history of ballet, Black ballet especially)
- Dance For Me
Check out our movies page for our latest movie reviews and recommendations.
FAQs
Answers to some questions you may have regarding this movie:
The Reason The Movie Is Named “Midnight Hustle”
Due to the ladies being strippers who work at night.
Does “Midnight Hustle” Setup A Sequel or Prequel?
No.
Does “Midnight Hustle” Have A Mid-Credit or End Credit Scene?
No
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Midnight Hustle (2023) – Overview
Summary
“Midnight Hustle” shows signs of its potential and how it could have lived up to expectations. However, it wastes all opportunities to be more complex and push its actors for something that is just bland and tries to liven things up with a tepid mob story.
Overall
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Mildly Dramatic and Often Dull - 73%
73%
User Review
( votes)Pros
- N/A
Cons
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Mildly Dramatic and Often Dull
