Thursday 18 May 2023

Movie Review: Emily The Criminal (2022)


Genre: Crime Drama Thriller
Director: John Patton Ford
Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi
Running Time: 93 minutes

Synopsis: In Los Angeles, Emily (Aubrey Plaza) has a menial job as a food delivery courier. She carries $70,000 in student debt but is blocked from pursuing an advertising career by a chequered criminal history. A colleague connects her with a seemingly risk-free credit card scam operation run by Youcef (Theo Rossi) and his extended family. Desperate to make money, Emily expands her criminal activity and starts a romance with Youcef, but in this line of work small mistakes can lead to big trouble.

What Works Well: Writer and director John Patton Ford surrounds a steely story core with an understated edge, providing stunning commentary on a sequential shift into an unexpected career fueled by economic hardship. Seemingly unable to catch a break but also contributing plenty of all-in venom, Emily is memorably complex and grimly determined, her journey charted by a textured Aubrey Plaza performance. The editing (by Harrison Atkins) is laser sharp, every scene trimmed to the limit, yielding taut, tense, and tidy storytelling.

What Does Not Work As Well: More could have been revealed about Youcef's uncompromising associates.

Conclusion: For the right person, the wrong turn can be the right move.



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