Emily the Criminal represents a side of Aubrey Plaza we don’t see very often. She leaves behind her usual bag of tricks (which I adore) and gives us a stripped down, no-nonsense, tough-as-nails character. I probably knew she had it in her, but it’s nice to see proof.

The film stars Plaza as a struggling former art student just trying to keep her head above the waves of student debt. She gets an opportunity for a quick buck doing small time scams… and gets a taste for it. Slowly she grows the backbone to take the new hustle to the next level.

I’d say the closest approximation to this film would be a 50% less anxiety-inducing Uncut Gems. Still might give you a case of the jitters as we see this average girl going a little too far day by day. Or, rather, maybe a little too far for the average viewer, but exactly as far as she wants to take it as a character.

I love this for Plaza and the art of indie crime thrillers / character studies. This is her gig to win or lose and I think she hits hard. I really dig this movie and its rather small-scale ambitions. She isn’t going to be a drug lord or mafia kingpin… but she might be able to pay off her student loans.

I really thought this worked. I loved its non-glossy, grungy style and I loved Aubrey Plaza doing her own thing without doing her usual thing. She’s great and the character is even better. Excellent work.

Score: 88