Emily the Criminal movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Emily the Criminal

This dramatic indie thriller was released on August 12, 2022 in theaters and is now available to stream online.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 37 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: B+

IN A NUTSHELL:

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.

The suspenseful movie was written and directed by John Patton Ford, who won “Best Feature Film” for his work at the Annapolis Film Festival and Deauville Film Festival this year.

THINGS I LIKED:

Aubrey Plaza was absolutely fantastic in this role, winning “Best Actress” at the Annapolis Film Festival. She’s completely believable as a Jersey Millennial weighed down by school loans and a terrible job that doesn’t pay very well. She’s also a victim of her own bad decisions and anger-management problems. While not exactly a model citizen, we still root for her until we see her slow-but-sure decline into a life of crime.
Theo Rossi also does an excellent job and I felt genuine chemistry between him and Aubrey Plaza.
The story is compelling and you keep watching to see what’s going to happen next.
There’s no CGI or fake visual effects, just solid acting with a gripping story.
The pacing is perfect.
The color palette makes you feel the gritty dirt in Emily’s life and what she sees as a bleak future.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

It’s frustrating that Emily blames society for her perceived injustices when she has created many of her own problems.
I worry that others in her situation will consider her path a legitimate one. Will she be seen as a smart survivor or a common criminal?
Some viewers may be frustrated by the ending.