It was announced in May 2022 that Netflix acquired the film Pain Hustlers in one of the largest deals at the Cannes market, coming in at a whopping $50 million. Netflix has been working overtime to build up its catalog of original movies, and it seems that this deal only cements that notion. Their original content is produced, co-produced, or distributed by Netflix exclusively and is funded differently than other TV networks.
Pain Hustlers had a lot of major talent behind it, from being directed by David Yates, best known for the Harry Potter films, as well as securing stars like Emily Blunt and Chris Evans. The film's plot and trailers have hinted at a satirical comedy about corporate greed similar to films like The Big Short or The Wolf of Wall Street.
So, what is going on with their upcoming drama Pain Hustlers? Here is what we know so far.
Update October 24, 2023: With Pain Hustlers just days away from streaming on Netflix, this article has been updated to get you ready before you stream the film.
Pain Hustlers: The Plot
The longline for Pain Hustlers, as released by Netflix, states that the film centers on Liza Drake, a high school dropout and single mother who lands a job with a failing pharmaceutical start-up in Central Flordia, where she soon finds herself at the center of a criminal conspiracy with deadly consequences.
Pain Hustlers is loosely based on the 2018 New York Times article of the same name and the 2022 novel The Hard Sell. Both were written by Evan Hughes.
Pain Hustlers: The Crew
David Yates was announced as the project's director upon Netflix's acquisition - a major coup for the streaming giant. Yates is an English film director, producer, and writer who has helmed features, shorts, and television productions. Many will instantly know Yates’ name from his time as director of the later four films in the Harry Potter series. According to Yates, doing the films “was too good of an opportunity to pass up…they asked me to stay, and I said yes. And they asked me to stay, and I said yes again…I didn’t want to be the bloke who made the two in the middle.”
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They will be joined in their producing efforts by Lawrence Grey, a Canadian-American film and television producer known for his company Grey Matter (Lights Out, 2016; Last Vegas, 2013 and The Laundromat, 2019). Lewis Taylor (Mash, 2018) and Ben Everard (Yes Day, 2021) will serve as executive producers, and Cyrus Mojibi (Lights Out, 2016), Patrick Wade (The Laundromat, 2019), Lawrence Kao (Yes Day, 2021) and Lloyd Everard (Yes Day, 2021) as co-producers.
Pain Hustlers: The Cast
Pain Hustlers sees Emily Blunt (Edge of Tomorrow) step into the lead role of Liza Drake. Her co-star will be Captain America himself, Chris Evans. Evans plays Pete Brenner, a sales associate for the low-level pharmaceutical start-up that brings Liza Drake along. The film will also star Catherine O'Hara, who audiences will likely remember either as Mora Rose from Schitt's Creek or Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas, as playing the part of Jackie Drake, the mother of Blunt's character.
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Release Date and Reaction So Far
Having entered post-production at the end of 2022, Pain Hustlers was set for a 2023 release. Pain Hustlers had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 11, 2023. It had a limited theatrical run starting October 20, 2023, and will arrive on Netflix on October 27, 2023.
Since its premiere at TIFF, Pain Hustlers perhaps hasn't received the reaction the filmmakers would have hoped. Many film critics were underwhelmed by the picture, especially in spite of the colossal budget that was spent on making the movie. With a 29% score on Rotten Tomatoes, not even the redeeming exuberance of Emily Blunt seems to have salvaged the film from the despairing depths of a critical bashing.