Overview
A woman desperate to escape her financial woes finds herself in a dangerous game of deceit and crime.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- sardonic
- gritty
- late night thriller
- independent film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised John Patton Ford’s assured direction and Aubrey Plaza’s controlled, committed lead performance, while finding the grounded crime thriller compelling despite some conventional plotting.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Emily’s student debt, criminal record, and repeated difficulty securing employment push her toward credit card fraud.
The plot focuses on Emily learning and performing credit card fraud, from acquiring stolen information to making fraudulent purchases.
Emily supplements her failed job search with food delivery while navigating debt and an exploitative criminal marketplace in los angeles.
Critics specifically highlighted the film’s refusal to resolve whether Emily is likable, redeemable, or heroic as her criminal ambitions escalate.
Films like Emily the Criminal, and why
Good Time
shares a grounded crime thriller framework, economic desperation, and a morally compromised protagonist navigating systemic pressure
Uncut Gems
combines propulsive urban crime, precarious employment, and an increasingly desperate outsider drawn into illegal schemes
The Assistant
features a tense, realistic descent into criminality driven by financial pressure and institutional disadvantage
Queen & Slim
shares a female-centered crime narrative, sharp social critique, and an antiheroine operating outside respectable institutions
Movie Details
- Director
- John Patton Ford
- Release Date
- 2022-08-12
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (1071)
Cast
- Aubrey Plaza
- Theo Rossi
- Megalyn Echikunwoke
- Gina Gershon
- Jonathan Avigdori
- Bernardo Badillo
- Craig Stark
- John Billingsley
- Kim Yarbrough
- Kara Luiz
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Emily the Criminal about?
- A debt-burdened job seeker turns to credit card fraud in Los Angeles, discovering that financial survival can demand increasingly dangerous compromises.
- What is Emily the Criminal like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Emily the Criminal as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Emily the Criminal violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Emily the Criminal as moderate.
- What did critics think of Emily the Criminal?
- Critics broadly praised John Patton Ford’s assured direction and Aubrey Plaza’s controlled, committed lead performance, while finding the grounded crime thriller compelling despite some conventional plotting.
- Which films are like Emily the Criminal?
- Films with a similar feel include Good Time, Uncut Gems, The Assistant, and Queen & Slim.
- How long is Emily the Criminal?
- Emily the Criminal runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Emily the Criminal?
- In United States, Emily the Criminal is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
