Two things make the new film Emily the Criminal worth watching: the first is its star, Aubrey Plaza. She can do no wrong, in my opinion, and I’m not alone. There are enough bits of her hilariously deadpan personality that you can actually watch whole YouTube videos of her talk show moments like this:
The cool thing about her role in Emily is that she is using a completely different set of acting muscles than what you’ve previously seen and she surprises you and makes you believe that she is her character (from what I’m told, that’s kinda the whole point of acting, but anyway..)
And the other thing that makes this film something to see is that you have not seen this movie before. You haven’t seen this kind of plotline or narrative arc, and I dug it. The film starts with Emily in a job interview that is quickly turning into a sh*t show because the hiring manager confronts her with a record that includes a DUI and an assault. So she is out of work, desperate and has huge student loan bills to pay.
A friend gives her a phone number to call which leads to a sketchy job as a “dummy shopper,” which means buying goods with stolen credit cards supplied by a shady but charismatic guy called Yusuf (Theo Rossi).
So it turns out that Emily’s (let’s face it, Aubrey’s) deadpan, deceptively low-key vibe makes her really good at this illegal side hustle. It starts with her making 200 bucks for one hour’s work. Buying a $2,000 TV with the stolen card and loading it in her new boss’s van.
And without giving away the finer details, let’s just say that Emily’s confidence grows as she realizes her talent and is given additional jobs that up the ante and the physical danger, but also offer bigger payouts to her.
I just really dug it- I’ll see 200 films this year, and every time I see something that isn’t like the previous 20 movies I saw before it, I cheer (not out loud, I’m not crazy).
Plaza’s steely performance, coupled with the kind of crime thriller that doesn’t roll out every week on Netflix, made this a worthwhile, cool experience. Of course, these kinds of crimes come with consequences, and even that part is well done. Also, I think they just showed me how to make an actual fake credit card using some kind of table top machine thingie. Loved that- something new.
It’s a small film, but I hope it makes a big splash. Released by Roadside Attractions and Vertical Entertainment. Written and Directed by John Patton Ford
Emily the Criminal | exclusively in theaters across the country starting Friday, August 12, 2022
3 ½ out of 4 Stars | rated R | 97 Minutes
