The directorial feature film debut of John Patton Ford, Emily the Criminal stars Aubrey Plaza and Theo Rossi as the film follows a young woman as she becomes involved in the Los Angeles’ criminal underworld.
Stuck with over $70,000 in debt and a criminal conviction, Emily (Plaza) is unable to secure a job that can clear her debts and escape her unsatisfying catering job. Given a random number by her colleague, she finds herself ‘recruited’ in a credit card scam led by Youcef (Rossi) for some fast cash, leading her into an inescapable world of crime.
When Emily finds herself surrounded by other people struggling for money, Ford provides a social commentary on unskilled workers with minimal education looking for a way to survive. Emily’s circumstances are no different: with any income only paying off the interest on her debts and her employer cutting her hours, she is driven to anything that can pay more than minimum wage. However, her expectations of the real world of full-time work fall short when her conviction and hostile attitude quickly deters interviewers. Her frustration soon culminates during a prospective job interview set up by her friend Liz (Echikunwoke), which resultingly relays an incredulously stark yet realistic experience about the concept of free work.
With its simple premise, Emily the Criminal‘s predictability and mostly uncomplicated character development undermine its tension. Ford minimises any chances for contemplation and compassion while retaining a visual shadiness that eventually becomes monotone. In addition, Emily’s desperation for money quickly clouds her moral compass, leaving her an unrepentant and somewhat selfish protagonist.
As the eponymous character, Plaza is the true power behind Emily the Criminal. Her gutsy performance shows superb range, which only grows as Emily’s criminal activities begin to increase in precarity with a tense incident involving a puppy marking the point of no return for the would-be criminal amid a vicious yet darkly satisfying turn. Rossi also brings in a compelling performance as Youcef, whose concern towards others paint him less as an opportunistic criminal but rather someone who is looking at the end goal.
As a debut feature film, Emily the Criminal is a solid thriller for Ford. Its narrative may play a familiar tune, but Plaza’s standout performance as the cold-hearted eponymous character is among her best work.
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Director: John Patton Ford
Stars: Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Barnard Badillo, Jonathan Avigdori
Runtime: 96 minutes
Country: USA
