Emily the Criminal

Emily the Criminal

Emily, who is saddled with student debt and locked out of the job market due to a minor criminal record, gets involved in a credit card scam that pulls her into the criminal underworld of Los Angeles, ultimately leading to deadly consequences.

  • Released:
  • Runtime: 120 minutes
  • Genre: Crime, Drama, Thrillers
  • Stars: Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Gina Gershon, Jonathan Avigdori, Bernardo Badillo, Craig Stark, Brandon Sklenar
  • Director: John Patton Ford
 Comments
  • damianphelps - 25 April 2024
    Not Terrible?
    Emily the Criminal is just an average vehicle for Aubrey Plaza. Aubrey is a charasmatic woman and the film leans so heavily into that charm for its complete watchability.

    There is nothing wrong with the premise its just a little boring offering nothing to really hang your hat on.

    I often judge a movie by my desire to watch it again down the track and Emily the Criminal whilst not making me fall asleep provided no motivation for a rewatch.

    The support cast, aside from Theo, offer very little to help the movie, so its basically all Aubrey.

    If you like her you will give the film a pass mark but not much more than that :)
  • pwdhawker - 21 March 2024
    Surprisingly effective and brilliantly crafted.
    A surprisingly entertaining and somewhat different movie that carries intensity and foreboding on its shoulders effortlessly.

    Plaza and the rest of the cast give strong performances and the cinematography is first class.

    In a time where so many films follow a predictable course this film is refreshingly different.

    The film asks the viewer to question the pros and cons of mainstream living and almost justifies a shady world of criminality and deception.

    The film successfully creates a believable world and the character development is first class. When sequels are so often expected this film actually tempts the viewer to demand one.
  • blanche-2 - 22 December 2023
    A different Emily from the one in Paris
    Etflix has a rougher, tougher Emily than Emily in Paris. As portrayed by Aubrey Plaza, this Emily is down in her luck woman with heavy debts, unable to find a job because she's a felon.

    Emily becomes involved with an Armenian gang dealing in credit card fraud. When two people attempt to rip her off, she shows what she's made of.

    Turns out she's made of a little bit more than her boyfriend (Theo Rossi) whose hopes of owning an apartment building are dashed when the rest of the gang steals everything he has.

    Emily insists that they go after it.

    I don't know if this film was cheaply done, but the feel of it was somewhat improvisational. Aubrey Plaza is very good - in fact, the whole cast is strong.

    Most interesting was seeing Emily with more successful- and honest - friends. She clearly didn't belong.

    Netflix doesn't always have decent product, but this was pretty good.
  • rmkellync - 8 January 2023
    Yup
    Hey I liked this. Here's the skinny, the real real short: your got Aubrey Plaza who is right smack in the middle of here first real "moment." Starring roles in a few projects and it's all not April Ludgate: score. You got a short run time: a good ninety some minutes - perfect. Premise makes sense, it's not super over the top except for the moment or two where she does something really out of character for the person she's playing. The extremes we go to when we must can make anyone do almost anything. Emily isn't a criminal, she doesn't set out to be one, but she is one. She's showing women can do whatever men can - it's dangerous, it's unfair, you can score big, or lose it all. You care about her character and the outcome. The ending, again, made sense and is within the scope of logic for the person, the crime, and how it played out in its final scenes. Plus - did I mention Aubrey Plaza. Man she really is gettin her due, getting some parts, and showing she can hold a scene and be The lead of a feature. This movie is not perfect. But it's short and fun and worth your streaming time. 👍🏼
  • moviemom23 - 1 January 2023
    Knocked out of the park!
    With all the crap out there finally a solid film that has great acting, excellent well rounded plot and coherent storyline. This - with the crime element- is one of my favorite genres anyway- but this one is just done SO well!

    I watched about 20 movies during my holiday break and this one is one of the best. I tried Bullet Train could not get through it, Glass Onion - no thank you. I loved Maverick, White Noise and Emily the Criminal best.

    You can really feel the raw emotion in this film- Aubrey Plaza does an incredible job. She is a badass and you root for her (at least I did) the entire time even as she makes some pretty bad choices.

    Why do we have to write 600 words!? All you need to know is watch this it will NOT disappoint.
  • witster18 - 26 December 2022
    Promising Can of Corn
    I dig Aubrey. She fresh, she's cute and she can act. I saw this title for a couple weeks and knew I'd eventually give it a spin.

    Didn't I just see this thing, only better and with Sandra Bulllock 6 months ago.? This turn may be more realistic than that one, it is, but it's also less entertaining.

    Aubrey does fine in the lead here, but the ending is too predictable and anti-climactic. The stakes aren't high enough, the love story seems pointless and non-impactful. To me, the entire film took the safe route. Every scene seemingly well-designed but lacking the gumption and extra-kick to make it effective. The scripting is too minimal, the ending too cookie-cutter, and overall, it's all a bit of a waste of time for me. There are better films in the genre to venture upon than this.. try "Disorder(6.5)", or "the Wrestler(9), or either of the 2 last Saffie brothers' turns (Uncut Gems(9), Good Times(8))if you're looking for an effective drama, with a more fleshed out scripts, lead perfomances, and lasting impact. Like I said earlier, even Bullock's' "Unforgivable(6.5)" is better.

    Emily the Criminal isn't terrible, but it certainly wan't very memorable either. I want the seriously pissed off version of Aubrey. I never felt like this character was pushed over the edge, at least not hard enough or far enough. Lacks the criminal empire or villain to make it work. The film also seems to lack emotion. I'd pass tbh.

    I saw one reviewer incessantly comparing Ford's work to Michae Mann, and 3 more comparing it to Nightcrawler. As a film guru, i can say, unquestionably, that those comparisons deserve no place here. This is no "Thief", or "Collateral", and certainly no Nightcrawler. Lacks the style, lighting, overall direction, powerhouse leads, impact, climax, post-viewing intrigue, and entertainment value of those comparisons. I'd check them at the door.

    Very. Average. Flick.
  • kcitraro - 17 December 2022
    Shocked that this isn't rating in the 7's or higher
    Ok, let's talk about the rating. I have to wonder if people rate it low just because it involves crime. Otherwise, I can't think of any reason to rate below a 7. I'm being liberal with that 7. The film grips you immediately. It makes you that good kind of uncomfortable that the writers intend. It keeps you on the edge of your seat. Yet simultaneously, you feel sympathy and can relate to the horror of $70,000 in student debt. This film maintains authenticity and allows the audience to feel and perceive their own way throughout. Writing, excellent. Directing.. phenomenal. Lighting and sound (my pet peeves and most difficult for film) outstanding. Acting.. excellent. Aubry Plaza shines in this role without having to rely on her stereotypical personality with acting. It was refreshing to see her act outside of that mo. I hope people give this film a chance and can set aside morals and just judge the film. I don't think youll regret watching this under the radar gem.
  • jhr2012 - 15 December 2022
    A pleasant surprise
    I didn't know quite what to expect with this movie, but it quickly drew me in.

    Both the story and the acting are superb. The heroine is one tough no nonsense cookie. She can't seem to catch a break, always running into unscrupulous types, but she stands her ground and doesn't take any crap. She really wanted to pursue her career but it became increasingly evident that she needed some other way to pay her bills.

    There are some mildly violent parts, but what I really liked was that there were no guns! I hope this is a trend in Hollywood. Making a good action/drama movie without guns. The lack of guns did not detract from the movie in any way.

    All in all, a very good movie well worth your time.
  • wisewebwoman - 12 December 2022
    Well made, written and cast - a superior thriller.
    This is as all movies should be, tight pacing, edge of seat tension and never knowing which direction it was going in.

    I had it all figured out at about ten minutes towards the end and felt sad it was going to end in the way I mentally predicted.

    When bam! I was surprised yet again. Aubrey Plaza and Theo Rossi are terrific in their roles. I could relate to them, mixing business with pleasure and speculating on who's using who here?

    Well written and directed and the criminal activity is for our time, the billions and billions dollar industry of credit card fraud and how its done.

    And the ending is satisfying. Trapped in student debt povery with outrageous interest rates is a real thing since universities became a profit making industry.

    8/10.
  • burgerman93 - 10 December 2022
    Great acting, though the thrills were limited
    The movie gives a good overview on this protagonist: we know that Emily is struggling with student debt, has a criminal background, lacks a stable career, has untapped potential with her artwork, and wants to travel to South America. She gets wrapped up in the world of credit card fraud and has to use violent means to survive.

    Aubrey Plaza was captivating in this - usually she's cast as a dorky, awkward, and cute character, but here she has a chance to be more wild and dominant. She also had believable chemistry with Theo Rossi.

    Was it really all that exciting? I can't say I was thrilled or moved by anything. For a 90 minute movie it was paced well, had some brief action and had a coherent storyline. The movie barely made a profit at the box office, nonetheless.