Aubrey Plaza had an excellent 2022, starring in both season 2 of Mike White's brilliant The White Lotus and the crime thriller Emily The Criminal. Written and directed by John Patton Ford and produced by Plaza, the film tells the story of a young adult who is unable to pay back her student loans. When she gets the opportunity to be a "dummy shopper" and realizes that she has become involved in credit card fraud, she makes the decision to become further involved in this world, hopeful that she will make enough money to support herself and turn her life around.
Emily is a captivating character who does the best that she can to survive this new situation while staying sharp and aware of her surroundings. She knows that people aren't going to treat her kindly and that danger is around every corner. But besides offering up the chance to watch a great character for the movie's run time, Emily The Criminal tells a smart story about the cycle of capitalism and the problem with hustle culture.
Emily The Criminal has gotten positive reviews thanks to Plaza's typically brave performance and the fact that her character is a realistic person who is in an understandable and terrible position. Instead of simply explaining that Emily is having trouble making ends meet or doesn't come from a wealthy family, the movie shares that Emily has mountains of student loans that she is still paying back. As time goes on, the interest increases, which only makes it clearer that she will not be able to pay this money back unless something changes. Emily works a thankless job delivering food to offices for a harsh, terrible boss who doesn't care about her or the other employees. When a co-worker suggests that she make easy money via a criminal side hustle, she is desperate for a solution.
Emily The Criminal is one of the best action movies of 2022 because it paints a full picture of why someone becomes involved in this world. The movie shares a solid and interesting message about capitalism and hustle culture, as Emily is stuck in an endless cycle of needing to work in order to make money but being unable to keep her head above water. The film makes its point through two other characters: Emily's love interest and criminal partner Youcef Haddad (Theo Rossi) and her best friend Liz (Megalyn Echikunwoke). As Emily and Youcef hope to strike out on their own, he comes up with a plan that ends up backfiring, which is a smart examination of how tough it can be to get out of a situation like this one.
The movie also explores the amount of money and privilege that are necessary in order to get ahead in life, which is what makes Emily an unconventional action movie main character. When Liz recommends Emily for a job at her advertising agency, Emily is shocked to learn that it's an unpaid internship. When Emily explains that it's wrong to expect someone to work for free, especially someone with loans and debt, Liz's boss Alice (Gina Gershon) is less than impressed.
This is one of the best moments in the movie as Emily is spot-on and perceptive. This scene takes the idea of "paying one's dues" and proving that one is ambitious and passionate to another level. Emily, of course, doesn't get any further here, and she realizes that the road ahead of her is too steep to climb. This is what leads her to make the decision that she does in the movie's final act and what leads her to the next phase of her life, which is explored in a smart and memorable end scene.
One of the best movies starring Aubrey Plaza, Emily The Criminal explores the differences between Emily and the people in her life. Emily is shown to be a contrast to Liz, who doesn't appear to have student loans to pay back and who was able to take an unpaid internship and then be promoted to a full-time role. Emily has no one to help her and nothing to fall back on, and this is why she is attracted to the credit card scam. She knows that what she is doing is wrong and that she could get in trouble, but that almost doesn't matter to her because she feels that she has nothing left to lose.
With a fast pace and surprises throughout, the movie tells a powerful story about one woman's choice to change her life and do something that she never anticipated. Emily is an artist who wishes that she could devote more time to what she loves to do, but with the desperate need to support herself, that dream goes out the window. Through showing this character's journey, the film discusses how hard it can be to get ahead and how the structure of a capitalist society leaves no room for people who need financial help.