The Hustle (2019) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Josephine orchestrated Penny's arrest to eliminate her as competition. When Penny arrived in town with billionaire Gregor (a man Josephine had been targeting), Josephine saw her as a rival threatening her con. She used Penny's association with Gregor to trap her, then bailed her out using money stolen from Penny herself, warning her to flee before the Russian mafia came after her.

Foreshadowing: Earlier on the train, Josephine tried to mislead Penny about Beaumont-Sur-Mer to deter her from competing in the con game.

• josephine
• penny
• arrest
• beaumont-sur-mer
• con artist
• trap

After Josephine scammed Penny and orchestrated her arrest, Penny tracked her down demanding to learn her tricks. Josephine reluctantly agreed, and as they pulled off cons together, their rivalry evolved into genuine camaraderie. Their partnership deepened through shared experiences and mutual respect, eventually leading them to team up with Thomas.

• penny
• josephine
• partnership
• rivals
• con artists
• team up

Thomas reveals he is a con artist with ancestry tied to the legendary Medusa, one of the most famous con artists in their world. This twist establishes that the con artist lifestyle runs in his family and explains why he was able to see through Penny and Josephine's schemes. He proposes the three of them form a team to pull off even bigger scams.

Foreshadowing: The movie opens with mention of Medusa as their idol, establishing her importance to the con artist world.

• thomas
• medusa
• con artist
• family lineage
• revealed

Penny wanted revenge because Josephine scammed her by orchestrating her arrest, stole her money to bail her out, and left her vulnerable to the Russian mafia. At the airport, billionaire Mathias confronted Penny demanding a valuable bracelet she didn't know she had, Josephine had cleverly planted it on her during the scam. This realization that she'd been outsmarted fueled Penny's desire for payback.

Foreshadowing: Josephine took jewelry from Mathias during her con, later using it to frame Penny.

• penny
• josephine
• revenge
• bracelet
• mathias
• scammed

The bracelet was expensive jewelry that Josephine had taken from Mathias while conning him as a desperate Danish billionaire. When Josephine set up Penny, she planted the bracelet on her, making it appear Penny had stolen it. Mathias tracked Penny down at the airport demanding its return, not realizing the women had played him as part of their larger scheme.

Foreshadowing: Josephine received jewelry from Mathias in exchange for gambling chips during her lottery con.

• mathias
• bracelet
• jewelry
• con
• stolen
• valuable

Josephine posed as a lottery winner with an $87 million prize at casinos in the South of France. She targeted Mathias, who was desperate after losing his fortune and being cut off from credit. Through charm and deception, she convinced him to give her expensive jewelry in exchange for gambling chips, part of her scheme to extract money from wealthy desperate men.

• josephine
• mathias
• lottery
• con
• billionaire
• casino

Penny created the fictional Madison as part of her small-time con in Australia. She used attractive photos of herself (claiming they were Madison) to lure young men like Jeremy. Under the pretense of scouting Madison as a potential date, she would request $500 for a breast enlargement surgery she claimed would boost Madison's self-esteem. This was her scheme to extract money from unsuspecting victims.

• penny
• madison
• sister
• con
• scam
• australian

Thomas Westerburg, the wealthy tech entrepreneur both women were competing to seduce, revealed he was also a con artist. He had been playing Penny and Josephine against each other while being fully aware of their schemes. He proposed that all three join forces as a team, creating a "found family" of high-stakes con artists.

Foreshadowing: Thomas seemed unusually unfazed by the women's elaborate deceptions throughout the movie.

• thomas
• twist
• con artist
• revealed
• identity
• tech entrepreneur

Yes, despite the initial con, Penny developed real feelings for Thomas. When he shared his dreams of innovation and his genuine passion for creating something meaningful, it created a authentic emotional connection. This marked one of the rare moments in the film where deception gave way to genuine feeling for Penny.

• penny
• thomas
• feelings
• genuine
• romance
• connection