What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Hustle
Chris Addison · Film · 2019
If you loved The Hustle, start with Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Frank Oz, 1988) — a film from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Hustle across media.
If you enjoyed the high-stakes deception in The Hustle, you will love these stories about clever grifters outsmarting their targets with style.
Start with the source
The source
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Frank Oz · Film · 1988
Books on the same thread
The Noble Hustle
Colson Whitehead · Book · 2015
Explores: Fish Out of Water, Cultural Observation, Amateur Experience.
Much like the competitive spirit in The Hustle, this memoir captures the thrill of high-stakes gambling and the fish-out-of-water experience of navigating a world built on skilled deception.
The Lies I Tell
Julie Clark · Book
Explores: con artists, unreliable narrator, obsession.
You loved the complex power dynamics in The Hustle, and this psychological thriller delivers a similar cat-and-mouse game where the roles of predator and prey constantly shift.
Crook Manifesto
Colson Whitehead · Book
Explores: systemic corruption, 1970s urban decay, criminal underworld.
The Hustle thrives on its criminal underworld setting, and this gritty story offers a deeper look at the systemic corruption and high-stakes maneuvering that define life for professional grifters.
Red Star Hustle / Apprehension
Sam J. Miller, Mary Robinette Kowal · Book · 2025
Explores: Framed Protagonist, Assassination Conspiracy, Escapism.
If the clever schemes in The Hustle kept you hooked, these science fiction crime stories provide the same level of calculated plotting and dangerous, high-stakes payoff you crave.
Series on the same thread
Dirty Scams
Series · 2025
Shares a thread with The Hustle: Female Empowerment.
This series mirrors the female-led grifting focus of The Hustle, showcasing smart women who use their wits to manipulate targets and complete their jobs with total moral ambiguity.
The Real Hustle
Series · 2006
Explores: Deception, Social Engineering, Moral Ambiguity.
The Hustle brings the art of the con to life, and this show takes that fascination further by demonstrating the real-world social engineering and deception techniques behind every scam.
Leverage
John Rogers · Series · 2008
Explores: Robin Hood, Underdog, Justice for the Little Guy.
The Hustle features a team of talented swindlers, and you will appreciate how this series uses that same group dynamic to fight injustice through elaborate, well-planned con artist schemes.
Imposters
Adam Brooks · Series · 2017
Shares a thread with The Hustle: Revenge.
This series captures the same cat-and-mouse tension found in The Hustle, focusing on a persona-shifting con artist who leaves a trail of betrayed victims in her wake.
Podcasts on the same thread
How Is This Better?
Podcast
Explores: grifters, political promises, technology critique.
Much like the critique of greed in The Hustle, this podcast pulls back the curtain on the modern grifters and empty promises that define our current social and political landscape.
Call Her Daddy
Alex Cooper · Podcast · 2026
Shares a thread with The Hustle: female empowerment.
The Hustle highlights the power of bold, confident women, and this podcast offers that same unapologetic energy through honest conversations that cut through the noise of modern life.
Common questions
Is The Hustle a remake of another film?
Yes, The Hustle is a 2019 comedy remake of the 1988 film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Both movies center on scam artists competing to swindle a wealthy target out of his fortune.
Should I watch Dirty Rotten Scoundrels if I liked The Hustle?
If you enjoyed The Hustle, you may appreciate watching Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Since The Hustle is based on the 1988 original, watching both allows you to compare how different performers interpret the same premise of rival con artists.
What is the main plot of The Hustle?
The Hustle follows two female scam artists, one high class and one low rent, as they compete to swindle a naive tech prodigy out of his fortune. It is a comedic story centered on their rivalry.
Is The Hustle a standalone movie?
The Hustle is a standalone adaptation of the 1988 film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. While it shares the same source material as the earlier film, it functions as its own version of the story directed by Chris Addison.