Amazon MGM Studios’ ‘Unstoppable’ is a competent sports drama that finds its strength in the acting prowess of Jharrel Jerome (Moonlight) as Anthony Robles and Jennifer Lopez (Maid in Manhattan) as his mother, Judy Robles. The pair are surrounded by high-level veterans Michael Peña, Don Cheadle, Mykelti Williamson, and Bobby Cannavale, while Robles’ younger siblings and teammates are convincing in their roles.
Through his deeds, Robles became a hero to many who could follow his career. This helps us understand the more conventional directing approach of William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor who collaborated with directors Ben Affleck, Michael Mann, and Kathryn Bigelow. The pace of the images, together with lighting and other technical elements, furthers the experience.

Goldenberg’s competence gives Jerome and Lopez room to present their layered performances. Jerome brings a determined and conflicted Anthony Robles, who goes from finding his place in the world to the determination to see in very committed professionals. ‘Unstoppable’ is at the same time a sports drama and a coming-of-age story. Jerome’s down-to-earth performance makes the screen wrestler a full-fledged human, not an unwavering superhero nor a character that brings pity from the viewers. This role positions Jerome as one of the best performers in his age group and led him to 2025 Bafta’s “EE Rising Star Award” nomination adding to a career that has powerful showcases in ‘Moonlight’ (2016) and the series ‘When They See Us’ (2019), not to forget that the actor played an amateur wrestler before in ‘First Match’ (2018).

Jennifer Lopez finds in Judy Robles a vessel to display a motherly persona with a vulnerable spot. The Robles are a big family, and Judy has to juggle work and keeping peace in the household. Lopez knows how to portray true happiness or when the character is faking it; playing a struggling woman shows a different side of a worldwide entertainer who comes to the stage as one of its brightest stars. Lopez’s acting in ‘Unstoppable’ is pretty different from ‘Maid in Manhattan’ and ‘Hustlers,’ as out is the endearing Latina help who dazzles with Ralph Fiennes and the sex bomb stripper Ramona, who, with her crew of dancers, scams Gordon Gekko wannabes while looking for the best interest of her daughter. Judy is the mother of many and the wife of a psycho. The stress of daily life can be seen in her eyes and facial expression and heard in the tiredness of her voice.

Hollywood, in particular the critics, try to pigeonhole Lopez. Still, looking at her career, it is noticeable how she has grown over time. It is not a stretch to position that she has learned a lot from past cast members. World cinema legend Sônia Braga portrayed Jennifer Lopez’s mom in two opportunities. There are shades of the notorious Brazilian acting in Lopez’s performances.

The narrative of ‘Unstoppable’ has an edge by portraying the abusive household that was made into a living hell by Rick Robles. Cannavale interprets an antagonist who is worse than any wrestler he has faced. ‘Unstoppable’ depicts a triggering toxic environment and portrays how seducing and psychotic abusers can be and also how the environment an athlete hails from can affect their performance. As seen in Anthony’s match to join the Arizona University State team, the audience will remember Rick Robles with his treats and machismo-fueled speech more than the opponent competing with Anthony for the spot. Cannavale has the threatening appeal of a wild horse 70s star, a profile lost in the current landscape.

The matches are another asset to the picture. Audiences are used to seeing boxing bouts in movies, and it is easier to understand the sweet science movement when compared to wrestling. Thus, fewer movies focus on wrestling as this combat sport is less popular. Nevertheless, ‘Unstoppable’ translates how gruelling and relentless high-calibre wrestling encounters are with attention-grabbing action that holds the attention due to its choreography, camera work, and editing, but the main component here is the stunt team. The real Anthony Robles worked as Jerome’s stunt double.

This film crosses from the sports drama genre to the mainstream, including staying above those depicting wrestling, which, although an ancient combat art with high cultural and historical relevance and an Olympic Games staple, is a niche sport in the modern era commonly mistaken with the choreographed pro-wrestling. ‘Unstoppable’ deserves a longer tenure in movie theatres. This picture is more enjoyable when watched with family members on a large screen because it can unite people considering that we dwell in polarized societies. There is a need to bond with others; cinema is a way to connect people with a collective emotional experience, and ‘Unstoppable’ does this.

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Money, money, money. It’s a rich man’s world

Meet Destiny (Constance Wu). A very classy woman living in an upstate neighbourhood in a fancy house. It seems like she has it all but your eyes deceive you. Being questioned by an interviewer (Cate Smit), we get the feeling that her life wasn’t always this glamorous. Let us tell you what happened. It wasn’t so long that Destiny worked in one of the most lucrative bars in New York. Sadly, due to not being an expert in dancing and the fierce competition, she’s still in the need of money. Especially because she has to take care of her grandmother. However, the salvation is near and comes in the stunning form of Ramona (Jennifer Lopez). She’s the hottest act in town and earns more money than any Wall Street guy can ever count. Destiny knows that you can always learn from the best and after grabbing together all her confidence, she approaches Ramona. The rest is history!

Destiny is now part of the hustlers’ elite: Ruling over men and their money, swimming in champagne and buying everything her heart desires. The dream life is happening right then and there! As Ramona would say: “They’re hurricanes!”. What a shame that the depression of Wall Street affects the whole economy, including their business. The women now need to be more creative to make sure that the money keeps on coming. They find the perfect solution: Starting to work on their own and just use the bar as their base. It seems like a very dangerous game to play but the hustlers aren’t afraid to take risks. For Destiny, there’s even more at stake now that she became a mother. How long before this game becomes too risky? How long before their dream turns into a nightmare?

Who runs the world? Girls!

A film about strong women, gracious and dedicated women need exactly that kind of actors to bring the story perfect to live. The casting team made sure that that was exactly was “Hustlers” got. The very first Hustler we meet is Destiny, played by the pleasant Constance Wu (“Crazy Rich Asians”, “All the Creatures Were Stirring”). Wu brings out the emotional, loving but also devoted and insecure side of her character beautifully. When Destiny is introduced to Ramona, she really gets that “waaaw!” vibe and that’s exactly what we got thanks to the stunning Jennifer Lopez (“Shades of Blue”, “Lila & Eve”). There’s no denying that Lopez oozes confidence, glamour, and determination and she certainly elevates her co-star performances to a much higher level.

Who wants to watch this film to see Cardi B and Lizzo might be disappointed. They’re prominently used in both the trailer and poster but you can count their scenes in the actual film on one hand. Another tiny negative point when it comes to the characters is the nudity used in this movie. Yes, we’re aware that “Hustlers” is about women putting their bodies on display to please men and to get money but a little less flesh certainly wouldn’t have hurt this film.

The fast and furious

What do Wall Street and the Hustlers’ business have in common, apart from the men in fancy suits? A lot of money is going around in an immense fast-paced environment. It’s exactly that kind of vibe that the editing team of this film craftily and skilfully made with fast and abrupt transitions. Sometimes it goes a little bit too fast but that certainly didn’t stop us from enjoying the film. Just like the movie itself, the music and cinematography are vibrant, upbeat and exciting. There’s always something interesting happen in “Hustlers” that will keep you drawn to the screen. What a shame that in the last part of the film that bubbly vibe is decreasing and that the emotions aren’t fully there. Your attention might decrease a little bit towards the end of the film.

Academy Award-Worthy?

During the opening weekend, “Hustlers” made a $33 million debut and we’re sure that that number is just a small amount of what the movie will earn around the world. Some predict that Jennifer Lopez will be nominated in the “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role” during the Academy Awards. We’re not 100% sure if we can agree with that but something we can agree on is that “Hustlers” is a movie you need to watch! It’s an incredibly entertaining, colourful and exciting film with captivating performances and a retro look.

Rating: (4 / 5)

Also Read: Breaking Through The Box Office

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