Emily The Criminal (2022)

From IMDB: Down on her luck and saddled with debt, Emily gets involved in a credit card scam that pulls her into the criminal underworld of Los Angeles, ultimately leading to deadly consequences.

Starring Aubrey Plaza as Emily, this is a reserved small little crime drama and that is a good and welcome thing. Emily has burned herself down to the core trying to achieve the American Dream only to find herself drowning in debt, lack of sleep, and grinding through mindless jobs.

She is no angel and that’s what set her up to fail as she claws her way up the ladder of success – only to be knocked back down again and again.

All this sets up her trajectory as a criminal nicely.

Written and directed by first time feature director John Patton Ford, the movie moves at a clean rhythmic pace and carries the viewer, and Emily, further and further down the path of corruption and finally to the conclusion.

The film is built around Aubrey Plaza and she easily wraps herself in this bleak and all too real scenario. Ford’s script seems to hit every right note. It’s a wildly lived in and believable story that had me wondering what level of research was done to craft this near documentary level tale of modern day gutter life?

Aside from Ford and Plaza, the supporting cast are all standouts – in that they do not stand out. These are all people busily living their lives and trying to pay rent, afraid to not believe in The Dream lest their reality crash in around them.

Special recognition should go to Theo Rossi who plays Youcef as the learned criminal who draws Emily away from her waking corporate nightmare and into the dream of a life of calm adrenaline grifts that result in quick riches. Rossis as Youcef carries the part believably and honestly, so much so that the viewer roots for him as much as Emily.

As a fan of procedurals that shine a light on the underbelly of society, Emily The Criminal swings well above its weight.