Emily the Criminal

Holy moly what a surprising gem... with soooooo many terrible movies coming out and finding a decent, let alone, a good movie is like finding a needle in a haystack.

Reminded me a bit of "Good Time," (Safdie brothers film) and I am certain the director was inspired by Good Time, from the opening of the interview to all the very tight shots of everything, documentary style, to the music. Also "Straight Time" (Dustin Hoffman) with the authentic style and BELIEVABLE acting. Never a dull moment from beginning to end, and this is coming from someone who basically gives 98% of movies coming out a bad review, and deservingly so.

From the cinematography, camera work, and music, this was just excellent and Audrey was amazing.

I literally had zero expectations of liking this, since I've been hitting 99 to 1 on finding good movies.

The story was unique and surprising.

This is what other indie filmmakers like Sean Baker should aspire to do. They have great natural approach to filmmaking, but lack story and excitement, as they have in this one.

The movie got better and better, which was even more shocking.

What a breath of fresh air that a movie has a great plot but never forgets about the characters and relationship, and most important, approaches it with such authenticity.

Emily certainly wasn't the most likable character nor brightest of the bunch and they may have made her a bit too dumb, which seemed a bit inconsistent to the rest of her interactions, like going against their simple instructions of what not to do. Usually, that is the writer being lazy or unable to come up with a better way to create drama and/or conflict, so that is my minor criticism.

Other than that, it was really good. In summary, I had know idea what to expect, but every minute was pleasantly surprising.

I can't give it ten stars, because it wasn't without any problems, which I normally would list, but since there are so few good films out I will leave it out because I do recommend this.

I think the reviews give you the overall gist of what this movie is all about but what's very striking, and entertaining is when Emily goes a little psycho. Not a ranting or dramatic psycho but a very focused, calculating one. Very solid performance, and the co-lead is a very good complement. If you liked Atomic Blonde, Anna, Salt and any other strong female lead that refuses to let the world get the better of them, you'll like this one.

Emily the Criminal stands next to Maverick for the best thriller of the year. That's because of Aubrey Plaza, who plays the anti-hero for our times

The eponymous bad girl of the Sundance breakout Emily the Criminal is as much a victim of society's neglect as she is of her own self-centeredness. Yet Emily (Aubrey Plaza) is self-sufficient and capable of kicking serious butt, not in a professional, martial-arts way, but in a way that mirrors her determination.

It's not difficult to see why she is easily seduced from food-delivery work to credit card scamming given the $70K in school loans, half a degree, and her permanent record of aggravated assault and DUI. The clarity and tension with which writer/director John Patton Ford unfolds Emily's arc are admirable--anyone in the audience can immediately identify with her dilemma-to remain poor or to make enough to erase debt and live comfortably.

Emily's only real friend is her old college chum, Liz (Megalyn Echikunwoke), who gets her an ad-agency interview with a mean womansplaining exec (Gina Gershon) that serves as the last testament to what Emily will suffer for every job she interviews: facing her criminal record and being offered, in this case, an internship for almost a half year without pay.

Hooking up with an enterprise that scams credit cards is almost a given; hooking up with the middle manager, Yusuf (Theo Rossi), is also a given, given that he is handsome, charming, and warm hearted. The drama actually comes alive when she begins scamming, showing a natural talent and aggressive enough, unlike other modern heroines, to escape by wit or just smarts with the help of a taser or boxcutters.

Throughout Emily the Detective, Plaza plays a decent millenial who has been buffeted by fate and her own stern affect to find salvation in accelerating crime, for which she has talent. Emily is not really the criminal that Yusuf's colleagues are; rather she's a bright woman caught in a social satire both trenchant and scary.

You'll love Plaza in this role. Just pray she can move from her deadpan characters to a variety of strong women. Like Ryan Gosling in Drive, she's impossible to ignore. She's that good.

Aubrey Plaza and Theo Rossi are Terrific Together in this drama and thriller rolled into one. Plaza shows great acting acumen as a "down on her luck" artist who becomes swept up in a crime spree to earn extra income. She is sweet, vulnerable, and relatable in this roll. She plays it really well. Rossi is terrific as her crime mentor. He plays a savvy non-violent criminal with a softer side. The film reminds me of another great film, Uncut Gems, in all the right ways. The acting is sharp. The Direction is first class. The Cinematography is very good. The movie is small in some senses. But it evokes many emotions- from anxiety to sadness, and more. This so worth watching for the performances alone.

In a saturated cesspool of entertainment now a days, it's films like these that are hard to come by. Engaging, tense, well acted, really drove the message of our awful job market in the states in a tasteful way. No CGI, greenscreens, gender politics. Just solid story telling. It's Breaking Bad "lite" for those that are a fan of the series.