John Patten Ford’s feature debut, Emily the Criminal exists in this very real world we are living in, working to explore the economic disparities and disadvantages so many people face.
As a college dropout with $70,000 worth of debt and a criminal record, Emily (Aubrey Plaza) has a hard time finding a stable job to pay back her student debts. Down on her luck and saddled with debt, Emily gets involved in a credit card scam that pulls her into the criminal underworld of Los Angeles, ultimately leading to deadly consequences.
Within his extremely tense and almost claustrophobic thriller, Ford also shows how easily the world can beat a person down to believe such extreme actions are almost necessary.
Featuring one of Aubrey Plaza’s best performances, Emily the Criminal is an excellent example of how to make an effective thriller on a smaller scale.