John Patton Ford launches his directorial debut, Emily the Criminal, starring Aubrey Plaza as a millennial saddled with college debt and a dead-end job. What risks is she willing to take for relief?
What’s it about?
In Emily the Criminal, Aubrey Plaza plays the titular role of Emily, a down-on-her-luck college dropout who can’t seem to catch a break. She is an aspiring artist but works as an independent contractor for a catering company. This low-wage job does little to pay the bills, especially with the additional burden of $70,000 in student debt. She rents a room from a family and does what she can to make ends meet.
One day, she is presented with an opportunity to make some quick cash. She gets a phone number from a coworker with the promise of making $200 cash in one hour. She texts the number and is asked to meet at a location the following afternoon. Armed with pepper spray, she visits the space. She learns that it is an informational hosted by a guy named Youcef (Theo Rossi). Although it sounds like the introduction to a pyramid scheme, you find that Youcef has a more direct offer. Youcef asks that she goes to a big box store and buy a flat-screen TV, using a fraudulent credit card. If Emily completes the purchase and returns the TV, he will pay her $200.
Emily calculates the risk and accepts. Understandably nervous, she almost bungles the whole purchase. However, she does go through with it and delivers the goods. Emily is now a criminal. (Ba Dum Tis! roll credits).
Actually, wait, there’s more! Emily wants to do another job. She completes a second, higher-paying job for Youcef. She makes more money, but things are getting riskier and more dangerous. Can Emily keep up the credit card fraud without getting caught? Should she even want to?
My Reaction
After Aubrey Plaza’s much-loved role on Parks and Recreation, she could have cruised to a very successful career on the big screen in lead roles for quirky comedies. Although she has starred in several comedies since the end of Parks and Rec, Plaza refuses to be pigeonholed. And why should she? Plaza showed she has the range for other work with a venture into horror. Emily the Criminal further proves that Plaza can be just as successful with dramatic works.
Although this small feature film has some talented character actors, Plaza is the only well-known performer and must carry the movie using her star power. The movie seems to recognize this, as Ford uses tight camera angles that feature Plaza and little else throughout the film. This decision forces you to focus on the character Emily and her plight. You are excited that she has found a way to deal with college debt, a hot-button issue for many millennials and gen-zers navigating America’s student debt crisis. You also cheer for her when she calls out corporate America, as she refuses to kowtow to performative acts of professional conduct that often belittles workers.
It would have been easy for Emily the Criminal to keep the story as a commentary on the student debt crisis or how problematic corporate culture can be. Instead, the story provides the protagonist with more layers and complexity, making you question if Emily is genuinely a sympathetic character.
On one hand, social conditions have put Emily in a space that many young adults can relate to, hand-cuffed by debt and delaying dreams. However, Emily seems to be addicted to making poor decisions. Her actions seem nonsensical unless you accept that Emily is somewhat of a thrill seeker who uses her debt to excuse risky behavior.
Is Emily is a criminal because of social conditions or her own flawed humanity? Everyone in the audience will leave with different answers to that question.
The excessive use of close-up shots of Emily almost makes it seem like Emily is so self-absorbed that she doesn’t even acknowledge those around her. So the audience leaves the movie trying to answer if Emily is a criminal because of social conditions or her own flawed humanity. Everyone in the audience will leave with different answers to that question.
Overall Rating
I was excited to see Aubrey Plaza in Emily the Criminal, mostly because I’m always curious how comedic actors will perform in dramatic roles. I believe that actors who cut their teeth in comedy tend to have an easier time transitioning to the dramatic, as humor is more subjective. Plaza proves me right again, as she nailed the role of Emily and carried the film successfully.
However, I was not expecting the nuance and complexity that Emily the Criminal provides. You question the character’s motives, good or bad, throughout the film. The continued suspense you feel as Emily goes from one job to another elevates your support and skepticism for the character. I’m not sure if Emily the Criminal was a side passion project of Aubrey Plaza or if the dramatic will be standard fare for the actor moving forward. Either way, audiences will be in for a treat.
