Hustle & Flow

"Everybody gotta have a dream."

2005 1h 56m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 473

CrimeDramaMusic

Synopsis

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

“Everybody gotta have a dream.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Terrence Howard
Djay
Anthony Anderson
Key
Taryn Manning
Nola
Taraji P. Henson
Shug
DJ Qualls
Shelby
Ludacris
Skinny Black
Paula Jai Parker
Lexus
Elise Neal
Yevette

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Craig Brewer
Writers: Craig Brewer
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 21 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Craig Brewer, shot by Amy Vincent. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Scott Bomar. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Billy Fox shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Terrence Howard and Anthony Anderson and Taryn Manning carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Everybody gotta have a dream.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0410097 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Craig Brewer directs. Amy Vincent behind the camera. Scott Bomar scores. Billy Fox cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 21 years ago.
2Directed by Craig Brewer, shot by Amy Vincent. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Scott Bomar. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Billy Fox shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Terrence Howard and Anthony Anderson and Taryn Manning carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Everybody gotta have a dream.".
7IMDB entry: tt0410097 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 14 themes, including "drug dealer", "career", "baby", "rap music".

The technical file

Cinematography: Amy Vincent
Original score: Scott Bomar
Editing: Billy Fox
Production design: Keith Brian Burns
Costume design: Paul A. Simmons Jr.
Sound: Daniel J. Leahy
Runtime: 116 min · 1h 56m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $8,000,000
Box office: $23,563,727
Return: 295% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Hustle & Flow (2005)

Awards

Sundance Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Craig Brewer

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-11-23
★ 6/10
Terrence Howard really does put his heart and soul into this gritty story of an aspiring man who wants to leave his pimping days behind him and become an hip-hop MC. Living in Memphis, the city has an huge musical tradition but his own personal baggage threatens to drag him down at every opportunity as he tries to attach himself to visiting superstar "Skinny Black" (Ludacris). He knows that this is likely to be his last opportunity to escape the cycle of hopelessness he faces, but can he stay focused, on-course and away from crime long enough to prove his worth? The main characterisation of "Djay" is strongly portrayed here with guts and a degree of viscerally plausible credibility that really works at times. Sadly, though, the bulk of the rest of it resorts to more aggressive and would mouthed stereotyping that reinforces so many pejorative views of how African American men treat each other and the women (and children) in their lives. It's that very sad predictability that rather ruined the potency of Howard's effort here, and by mid-way through I can honestly say I couldn't have cared less whether he succeeded or not. Too many lives had already been ruined by his previous behaviour, so why should he escape the consequences of a vicious circle he had quite an hand in creating? There's plenty for fans of the musical genre to get their teeth into as that offers a boxing-like conduit for those without academic credentials to use their more creative talents to escape their torpor and find hope. It may well resonate more in the USA, but elsewhere it can come across as a story of an unlikeable man who played in the dog-eat-dog world until it no longer suited him, then tried to escape being eaten himself.

Production companies