Emily the Criminal

Showtimes August 26 - September 1:

Aubrey Plaza is perfectly cast as the title character in this sharp-edged look at the world many young people find themselves in today. Saddled with a minor criminal offense on her record, and with $70,000 of student debt for a degree she never finished, Emily is struggling to find a lucrative job. In interview after interview, prospective employers either devalue her or offer her positions like six-month unpaid internships that she can’t afford to take. To support herself, she works in the gig economy, unable to get rid of the sinking feeling that nothing’s going to get better.

But she doesn’t give up. In search of more income, Emily takes a shady gig as a “dummy shopper,” buying goods with stolen credit cards supplied by a handsome and charismatic middleman named Youcef (Theo Rossi). Despite its dangers, she finds herself seduced by the quick cash and illicit thrills of the black market.

The brilliance of Emily the Criminal lies in its realism. Ford takes a relatable story and uses it to comment on the illusive promise of social mobility. How are students supposed to achieve their career goals if strapped with debt and asked to start at the bottom of the ladder for free? How is an ex-con supposed to survive in America if they’re stripped of opportunities to live a better life? In a world that’s nearly impossible for the working-class to get ahead, Emily the Criminal is a small victory. At its center is someone who’s not trying to be a hero. She’s just trying to survive. But her story might just provide a punch-in-the-air moment for millions of people under the age of 30.

 (USA / 2022 / Directed by John Patton Ford)
R / 1 hr 36 mins