For an actress who began in comedy, Plaza is continuing down a fascinating path of roles that reveal different sides to her. Where Legion showed her wicked villain chops in frantic ways, the new thriller Emily the Criminal adds more dimension to her acting abilities as a dog-eat-dog persona. Regardless of the familiar tale, it’s a joy to witness her growth.
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In the movie, Emily is an independent contractor for a catering service barely meeting her financial obligations. She is shrouded in debt due to college loans, she never finished her degree because of life circumstances, and she has an assault on her criminal record. All of this has made Emily short-tempered and somewhat jaded. This attitude is reflected in job interviews, making it difficult for an employer to get past her fiery bedside manner.
She gets a number from a coworker that is said to be an easy two hundred dollar payout. To her surprise, the job in question is an illegal credit card scheme run by Youcef (Theo Rossi) where recruits use stolen numbers and identities to buy expensive products and then Youcef flips the items to other buyers. Emily being ambitious and desperate rises to the challenge and decides to dive further into the world of credit card fraud.
Once Emily immerses herself in Youcef’s world, it’s here that Plaza as a performer truly shines. She wonderfully balances toughness as well as vulnerability as she navigates her new criminal lifestyle. She is desperate enough to be dangerous to anyone who crosses her but she is also completely in over her head. Many scenes convey this balance as it gives the character of Emily dimension as well as stakes.
The role further cements Plaza as a leading actress across genres. The film is carried by her for the entire runtime and requires her to sell the thrills at every corner. And Plaza is magnetic in the role of Emily. Theo Rossi is not doing anything new here but his presence works for the role. It is the same persona generally seen in Sons of Anarchy and other properties but Rossi is a fantastic supporting presence in any film or television show.
Because of this, Emily the Criminal overcomes its familiar weaknesses. Between Plaza’s ability to communicate Emily’s mindset and John Patton Ford’s gripping direction, the movie maintains an energy that makes it incredibly engaging. And it’s impressive for this being his first feature-length film.
Still, the familiar screenplay is a setback with Emily the Criminal. This structure has been seen in many films both fiction and non-fiction. And while it does not end on the same note as many rise and fall storylines, the formula is easily predicted for lovers of crime dramas/thrillers. Despite all this, it’s a compelling watch but a few more creative risks in the script could have catapulted this film into a great one.
What makes it different than most rise and fall character arcs is that the viewer never has the sense that Emily is a bad person or is becoming one. Her decisions seem reasonable and relatable. She might have a hardened spirit but her moral compass shifts for motives that feel necessary. And when she makes an unforgivable choice, we empathize with her decision. Juxtaposed with Breaking Bad, where Walter White begins as a great person and slowly evolves into a sociopath. The empathy we have for her keeps the stakes high as she pushes herself further into amorality. Thus, propelling a formulaic tale into a gripping crime drama.
Overall, Emily the Criminal maintains an emotionally impactful experience throughout its runtime. Most of this is thanks to a fierce performance by Aubrey Plaza and smart writing by John Patton Ford. This is a story we have seen before but for all its recognizable beats, Emily the Criminal plays the notes better than most. The best comparison is Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island. The Dennis Lehane novel and film adaptation contained plot turns that were extremely similar to other cerebral mysteries. But having Scorsese at the helm and Leonardo DiCaprio as the lead made the mundane feel like a marvel. John Patton Ford’s debut is an accomplishment of the same caliber and is continuing proof that Plaza is a multifaceted performer.
Emily the Criminal hits theaters on August 12.
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