LANGUAGE IS RAW SO IS THE CONTENT
Hustle & Flow
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
This movie is for adults only.
Why We Rated This 
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Hustle & Flow was written by Cynthia Fuchs
Parents need to know that the movie, focused on the efforts of a pimp trying to change his life, features explicit references to sex and prostitution (as well as scenes in a strip club). Characters use harsh language, smoke, drink, do drugs, have sex, and fight with one another, on occasion drawing blood. Women wear scanty clothing.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about the obstacles DJay tries to overcome, including poverty and lack of education. How are his ideas shaped by media images (music videos, news)? How does music help him gain another perspective on his life? How is this pimp and drug dealer simultaneously appalling and sympathetic? How does he treat the women around him?
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More on Hustle & Flow
What’s the Story?
DJay (Terrence Howard) is a Memphis pimp who is imaging a world beyond his own. When DJay gets hold of an old Casio keyboard, he's inspired to make music, specifically, to express himself through hip-hop. And so he tries to make a demo tape, with the help of sound engineer Key (Anthony Anderson) and church pianist/vending machine stocker Shelby (DJ Qualls), who brings his beat machine. They spend hours and hours putting together a couple of tracks, "Whoop That Trick" and "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp." DJay delivers his tape to a rap artist, Skinny Black (Ludacris), when he comes by a local bar (the owner played by Isaac Hayes) one evening. Resilient in his ignorance, posing like a proud, tough guy, he can't escape the fact that he has a sense of history and context.
Is It Any Good?
Perceptive and provocative, HUSTLE & FLOW focuses on the limits and excesses of a DJay. Even as he's imagining a world beyond his own, however, DJay's vision is limited by immediate needs. Women, he admits to his new girl, Nola (Taryn Manning), are like men, not dogs, with aspirations and needs. Craig Brewer's first film doesn't hold back from showing DJay's gritty side: he's selfish, short-sighted, and angry, selling dirt-weed and living in a one-floor shack with his girls; in addition to Nola, the household includes lapdancer Lexus (Paula Jai Parker), her young son, and the very pregnant Shug (Taraji P. Henson).
The women are caught up in stereotypical roles, arguing with or supporting their man, who in turn sells their bodies to any creep with $20. But the actors bring depth, detail, and poetry to these character outlines. When Shug describes a recent nightmare (in which she gives birth to a dog, then finds herself "breastfeeding a big old catfish"), she thinks it through and concludes it's because of her fear of the unknown, a fear afflicting everyone in the house.
Movie Details
Studio: Paramount Pictures, Director: Craig Brewer
Run time: 116 minutes
Theatrical release: 7/22/2005, DVD release: 1/10/2006
MPAA Rating: R for sex and drug content, pervasive language, and some violence.
Run time: 116 minutes
Theatrical release: 7/22/2005, DVD release: 1/10/2006
MPAA Rating: R for sex and drug content, pervasive language, and some violence.
Our Members Say
See all 7 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title off for age 17 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
"Keep hustlin..." and find another movie
The movie tries hard to be philosophical and humane, and in some ways, it succeeds. Great acting by Howard actually draws sympathy and makes you cheer for the pimp by the end (who woulda thunk?)but the movie is still so gritty and raw (along with the script) you might wish you hadn't seen it. And after watching 2 hours of sweaty, sticky hoes and pimps, the only thing you leave with is a catchy song and the feeling that you need to take a shower. and by the way, this movie is definitely NOT for kids...
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
i loved this movie!!!!!!!!!
it was a great movie.i loved it alot.great stuff.great songs.cool actors.alltogether great.i want everyone to see it.not okay for kids but it's still great -dylan I.young lil illen dylanda mancool dudebestreviewerforkidsi rule45.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give itA true depiction of a lot of people in the star's position.
I believe this story of DJay was a true depiction of lots of people seeking stardom to get out of a bad situation. I do believe that all of the language, violence, etc. was not at all exaggerated. It is life for some people in the star's position. Although it was not the greatest movie ever made, it was a good story.
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Ratings at a Glance
| 100% | of parents say it has language their kids can't use |
| 100% | of parents say the sexual behavior isn't age appropriate |
| 100% | of parents say it's too violent |
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