Generation Hustle
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Generation Hustle
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Generation Hustle is a docuseries about people who lie, manipulate, and steal for a living. The heights of successful scams are glorified, if only because the images of excess are indulged. There are consequences for the behavior when the con artists go to jail or are exposed, but the lives they have ruined are numerous. Drug use, greed, sexual manipulation, mind control, and money-making scams are detailed.
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What's the Story?
In GENERATION HUSTLE, the con is king. Whether it's a Ponzi scheme perpetrated by a teenager, an elaborate "social engineering scam," or a web of threats and rewards, this show explores the tricks used by con artists and scammers. Documentary-style interviews are interwoven with shots of locations, hand-drawn story-board illustrations, and oh yeah -- lots of stacks of money. Is this series a glorification of successful cons? Or does it serve as a cautionary tale? Whatever the moral purpose, the cons get the attention that they crave as their "genius" plots play out in real life.
Is It Any Good?
Compelling, creepy, and all too real, this documentary series spotlights moral slipperiness. In Generation Hustle, elaborate scams are outlined in their twisted glory. The effect is jaw-dropping at times. "If only they used this genius for good," is a mantra that's repeated throughout the series. And it's hard to look away once the victims begin to explain how the cons affected them. Stripped of their dignity, people are put in dangerous situations in foreign lands. Families are torn apart. And the sociopaths behind it all aren't phased.
At what point is the attention this show is paying to the cons playing into the mastermind's plan? Is this series helping the viewer understand? Or giving more power to people who will do anything to gain it? It's compelling stuff, because villainy is seductive, and this series ultimately capitalizes on that draw.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the internet is used in Generation Hustle. If you don't know a person, how can you trust them? What are some red flags you can identify when making choices online?
What would you do if you suspect a friend was being manipulated or under the control of an online predator? Would you intervene, or blow the whistle?
How is money portrayed in this series? How important is money in your world? Is it worth lying and scamming others to get money?
TV Details
- Premiere date: April 22, 2021
- Network: HBO Max
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Adventures, Friendship
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: February 28, 2022
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