As "Emily The Criminal" (2022 release; 97 min) opens, Emily is at a job interview. When it becomes clear she won't get the job due to her prior convictions, she leaves midway. Back at her regular job as a food caterer, a co-worker leads her to an opportunity as a "dummy shopper" that pays $200 in the first hour. Desperate for the money, Emily signs up... At this point we are 10 minutes into the movie...
Couple of comments: this is the feature length debut of writer-director John Patton Ford. Here he brings a hard-nosed look at what it takes to survive, let alone thrive, in the cut-throat business that is credit card fraud. Along the way, it examines why someone like Emily is driven to do this in the first place. In and of itself none of this is revolutionary but for the fact that Aubrey Plaza features is just about every single frame of the movie, and shines along the way. She is completely believable in this role, and she seems to be everywhere these days (currently also starring in Season 2 of "The White Lotus" on HBO). For some reason, this movie made me think of Michael Mann's "Thief" (1981). Probably the score by Nathan Halpern helped that association, but frankly also the overall non-sentimental tone of the movie too.
"Emily the Criminal" premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival to immediate critical acclaim. It is currently rated 94% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and for good reason. I missed it during its brief US theatrical run earlier this year, but it is now streaming on Netflix where I caught it last night. If you are in the mood for a hard-nosed crime drama featuring an outstanding Aubrey Plaza, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.
Couple of comments: this is the feature length debut of writer-director John Patton Ford. Here he brings a hard-nosed look at what it takes to survive, let alone thrive, in the cut-throat business that is credit card fraud. Along the way, it examines why someone like Emily is driven to do this in the first place. In and of itself none of this is revolutionary but for the fact that Aubrey Plaza features is just about every single frame of the movie, and shines along the way. She is completely believable in this role, and she seems to be everywhere these days (currently also starring in Season 2 of "The White Lotus" on HBO). For some reason, this movie made me think of Michael Mann's "Thief" (1981). Probably the score by Nathan Halpern helped that association, but frankly also the overall non-sentimental tone of the movie too.
"Emily the Criminal" premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival to immediate critical acclaim. It is currently rated 94% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and for good reason. I missed it during its brief US theatrical run earlier this year, but it is now streaming on Netflix where I caught it last night. If you are in the mood for a hard-nosed crime drama featuring an outstanding Aubrey Plaza, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.