Hustlers

Chris Rock famously said that "a father has one job: to keep their daughter off the pole"; this movie could make that job a lot tougher. Lopez may do more in Hustlers to make stripping look appealing than Howard Stern did with porn actresses. Every move she makes is charged with self-confidence, sexual empowerment, and superior awesomeness -- and that's problematic for teens. She may be "Ramona," but she's also Jenny from the Block, and when she writhes on stage, showered and rolling in dollar bills, stripping becomes -- as Wu's Destiny describes it -- "glamorous and cool."

It may be that director Lorene Scafaria is too good at her job, creating enviable fun and feminist justice out of criminal acts. She knows how to push our buttons when it comes to craving female friendships, a feeling that's intensified by the inclusion of popular music personalities (like lovable Lizzo and outspoken Cardi B, who's confessed to participating in a similar scam when she worked as a stripper). The friendships between the women and their stage "mom" (it's been too long, Mercedes Ruehl!) in the club's back room are as warm as Ramona's fur coat, and the sisterhood they form seems more emotionally satisfying than any sorority. As an audience member, you know that the female empowerment isn't exactly on the level, and yet it demonstrates something many of us long for: a large group of friends who are affectionate, supportive, and judgment-free. But most of the women are also ethics-free, and as their activities dive deeper into behavior that's immoral and illegal, they find justifications that will hold water with some of those watching. Hustlers may be the #MeToo generation's Fatal Attraction: a cautionary tale that corruption has consequences -- just not for the women.