While “Emily the Criminal” isn't for everyone, it does succeed on many fronts. It's not your run-of-the-mill crime flick; instead, it's an in-depth look at the mind of its main character and examination of criminal behaviour. The film's overall noir vibe appeals to me, and I think its effectiveness as a small-scale thriller stems from its commitment to staying grounded, scaled down, and focused. Additionally commendable is Plaza's performance, and given that this is John Patton Ford's directorial debut, he, too, is deserving of recognition for his efforts. Yet, despite its entertaining nature, the film fails to make a lasting impression.
Rating 7.0/10 (Good)
I thought this was a decent movie. Nothing amazing, but a solid watch with an interesting enough plot, and it's a nice change of pace for Aubrey Plaza.
Emily is the artist turned gig worker turned credit card fraud girl boss that the zoomers need right now. That accent seemed to come and go though.
A good character driven film overall. As others pointed out, Emily’s accent comes and goes but not enough to totally ruin the immersion.
The film does a great job commenting on post-college society, especially taking jabs at unpaid internships. I particularly enjoyed seeing Emily escalate what she was willing to do for cash.
an engaging film for sure but not a single gun gets pulled on her once? really?
My brother compared this film to Uncut Gems, and while I understand where he's coming from, I ultimately think that's quite a generous comparison. Yes, Adam Sandler's and Aubrey Plaza's characters are similar in that they both are responsible for their own downfall, but the big difference for me was that I actually found myself rooting for and sympathizing with Sandler in spite of his flaws. That's not the case here. I just wasn't invested in these characters. The writing felt consistently underdeveloped and on the nose. Even a simple premise such as this needs to be navigated with some nuance, otherwise it ends up feeling hollow.
Despite being underwhelmed by the writing, I would still praise the performances. I think the creators got exactly what they wanted from Aubrey Plaza and Theo Rossi, and the execution of their relationship was actually one of the story threads that was most effective. All in all, a generally well made film, but unfortunately the story just didn't work for me.
I've enjoyed so many of Aubrey Plaza's movies over the last few years. I wanted to really love this movie.... but I only liked it. The story was pretty good and the acting is excellent - I am not completely sure why I didn't enjoy it more. I think some of it has to do with the resolution - in hindsight I wish that they had spent more time setting up the theme that if you let people take advantage of you then you will always be a victim. I think there was a better movie in there.
follow me at https://IHATEBadMovies.com or facebook IHATEBadMovies
I'm sorry but if you got 80k student debt and NOT finish ART SCHOOL.. its on you.
It's ridiculous to pay 80k for fucking art school in the first place.
The first words I heard came out of John Billingsley's mouth, and I was disappointed to note that he only appeared in that first scene.
Nice goof when Javier asks Emily if she texted the number he gave her, considering that the fraudsters called him when Emily checked in at their dummy shopping gig to confirm she was a legit referral.
This is a movie that gets away with some plotholes due to the charming nature of the direction. It helps to be a fan of Plaza & Rossi. Well acted (although many will dislike Rossi's accent) and effective tension building throughout. I quite enjoyed it and will allow the faults it had to pass without too much penalty. A worthwhile little crime caper 7.4. Surprised Rossi is 47 this yr. Baby faced.
Emily the Criminal is a brilliant look at the stakes a person will go to in order to dig themselves out of crippling student debt. I had a really good time with the film, Aubrey Plaza is fantastic as the lead, she carried this movie and made it an absolute treat to watch. The story hits on a lot of elements that the resonant with millennials while exploring them in a way that feels genuine. The plot is pretty good, although the main story points are almost all revealed in the trailers, which was a bit disappointing. There were times where I was having a hard time believing she could continue to get away with all the illegal activity she was getting up to without even raising suspicion, but I was able to turn my mind off and still have a solid experience.
Score: 80%
Verdict: Great
Theater Verdict: See It
Its not the best movie, it's not the smartest movie. It is also far from realistic.
It is entertaining.
Wokeness level is ok.
The plot makes no sense.
The police chase her after her partner's brother snitches on her, but somehow she still manages to escape to another country? They really expect us to believe that she wouldn't just get caught at the airport? Even Catch Me If You Can makes more sense than this. Also, how does she manage to get credit card numbers without any hacking abilities? And it's not like she knows any hackers either. And, how does she end up being so powerful with only a taser and a box cutter? It makes no sense that nobody uses guns in this movie. Hell, even the Armenians that she steals from in the beginning should have had guns, they were way nicer than they would have been if it was realistic.
The movie is slightly entertaining nonetheless, enough to feel like I didn't completely waste my time, especially since I watched most of it on a plane (downloaded from Netflix beforehand). But there are much better movies out there that tap into that same crime thriller genre.
Nothing really groundbreaking here but a solid fun watch. Also, why make her from Jersey? the accent was terrible.
:heart:x6
This perfectly watchable movie. It's just not great. Aubrey Plaza is almost always a joy to watch as she was here.
How I rate:
1-3 :heart: = seriously! don't waste your time
4-6 :heart: = you may or may not enjoy this
7-8 :heart: = I expect you will like this too
9-10 :heart: = movies and TV shows I really love!
Very nice little crime film. An independent movie with Aubrey Plaza as good as always. Great story, kept you watching, not bored at all. The ending was ok. I see that coming.
Like photos from a new NASA telescope, this is a surprisingly good look at an old subject.
The directing is sharp, Aubrey Plaza is on point and the whole thing ust looks fucking cool. Plus, I'm a sucker for a film with a strong female lead.
Cool movie. Plaza (P&R) and Rossi (Sons) were no strangers of mine and I'de always liked them in their shows. I was hoping Aubrey Plaza would get a good role after some mediocre to bad movies. The two really play off of each other well. The story is simple but has the necessary weight to be interesting. With a playtime of 1,5 hour the movie doesn't overstay it's welcome.
Not a bad movie. The acting was great. MUST WATCH!
I love Aubrey Plaza. Was looking forward to it. Had my hopes up. But it is really basic.
It tries to deliver a lot but fails with the basics.
Good watchable movie if there’s nothing else to watch
Based on a true story of how Aubery Plaza stole all her movie roles. Method acting as her finest.!
Realistically I think this is how actors and actresses feel when making a movie all the time and I were just demonstrating how they normally feel.
is it just me or did Emily seem like a hothead during those interviews? but by the end I got the feeling we were supposed to be on her side at every confrontation
An overlooked little gem of a movie that came out last year.
Aubrey Plaza and Theo Rossi are both great in this.
Pleasant surprise here. I kept expecting David Mamet~esque turn, but enjoyed this none the less.
Aubrey Plaza is very good in 'Emily the Criminal'.
I've predominantly seen her in comedic roles, so it's good to see her act in something thriller-ly. I enjoyed her performance from beginning to end, no complaints whatsoever. Theo Rossi also puts in a strong performance, while the rest of the cast are solid.
It's an entertaing story, one that wraps up in a different way to what I would've predicted - but that's not a bad thing. Elsewhere, the music is decent - even if one bit of the score sounds straight out of 2011's 'Drive'. The run time is pleasantly short to boot. Rewatchable, in a word.
Decent movie with a different premise. Wasn’t the best but worth the watch.
I expected a better movie but Plaza is always a joy to watch, regardless of the quality of the script.
A tense and cynical portrait of contemporary America, where many young people struggle to find opportunities and are tempted by easy money.
a good movie with an interesting plot and with short length.Not something unique or special but it was good 6.8/10
P.S Plaza is one of a kind,she is a special actress and i really like her.
I have always been a sucker for both Aubrey Plaza and the "good person does bad things" trope. This has both and neither really missed the mark. Are there better movies out there in this style? Sure. But if you like either of the previously mentioned you will likely enjoy this!
Rating: 3/5 - 7/10 - Worth Watching
I've never really liked Aubrey as an actress, but she did a decent job in this movie.
Almost a teaser for white lotus
Interesting theme and characters but the direction is too simple (it looks like a tv movie sometimes), the plot predictable and the social criticism too basic.
"Good Time" is a very similar film but it is much better because it has creativity, unpredictability and more depth.
In short Good Time is a brave film while the only thing that's brave in Emily the Criminal it's the protagonist.
Review by J_345BlockedParentSpoilers2022-09-25T09:20:32Z
So they doing rip offs then send all the people in the same place all at once and all going to the same van. :joy:
I think you need more than 2grand for stealing a damn car.
This guy just shows this random girl the ropes after meeting her twice. Really!!? How has these criminals not been caught yet lol
So you plan to rob someone and what just stick around and think he will let it go? And inassumed he would stay because he wants to buy those properties. I guess he could just go to South America with her after but i doubt it.
“You’re a bad influence” if i had a dollar for the amount of women I’ve told that to lol
And as criminals always do get caught because they dont know when to stop. All it will take now is a cop with an obsession and figure out theres someone in that part of south America doing the same Cc scams :man_facepalming_tone3: thought she would have enough cash to just chill for the rest of her life in a cheaper country like that with is dollars is definitely possible. Get a normal job like an artist maybe?
All in all great movie. I am bias when it comes to Aubrey Plaza so take my opinion to be a little skewed lol.