'Emily the Criminal' (2022) - Movie Review: Raw and Novel

Emily the Criminal is a movie written and directed by John Patton Ford, starring Aubrey Plaza.

An interesting piece that is raw, frank and compassionate.

Premise

Emily, who is saddled with student debt and locked out of the job market due to a minor criminal record, gets involved in a credit card scam that pulls her into the criminal underworld of Los Angeles, ultimately leading to deadly consequences.

Movie Review

‘Emily the Criminal’ is a feature film that is made with a lot of enthusiasm, and relies entirely on the protagonist to carry it along, and does so, well. The movie is Aubrey Plaza’s from start to finish, with her characterization of Emily. One would even dare to compare it to an inner monologue of a soul that does not afford the time to be tormented.

It is narrated in a singular way, as singular as the protagonist and her journey. There are a lot of handheld camera shots, without grand stylistic gestures, as the story does not need them. This is a story that is told in a filterless way.

Compassionate but frank and direct, it does not stop up to analyze “why the mess?”. There is a mess and that’s it, there is no time for contemplation nor reflection.