Starring Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi, Gina Gershon, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Jonathan Avigdori
Published Jan 31, 2022
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Writer-director John Patton Ford’s feature debut, Emily the Criminal, is a criticism of capitalism and corporate America. What would you do with money if you had it? Emily (Aubrey Plaza) didn’t want to be a criminal — she was created by those who stifle the working class. On the surface, the film is a thriller about a millennial who hits her breaking point and turns to crime to pay off her student debt. Many know that burden, and we end up working hard in university to get jobs that don’t pay us enough. As a woman who fought the abuses of systems and people, Emily turns the tables in black market capitalism’s game of risk.
Emily works for a catering business. She used to draw portraits, her real passion, but that didn’t pay. She has a mark on her record, an aggravated assault charge from fighting back against an abusive ex. It follows her everywhere, making it hard for her to find work that pays enough for her to pay off her student loans. She pays large sums, but that only covers the interest. It’s an infuriating scam with seemingly no solution — that is, until her coworker hooks her up to be a “dummy shopper,” where she can make $200 for an hour of work. It’s tempting, and she can’t pass it up.
Equipped with pepper spray, she goes to her new gig and discovers that it’s a credit card scam. She meets brothers Youcef (Theo Rossi) and Khalil (Jonathan…
