Every one of us has bills to pay; dreams that we’ve put on hold or written off completely; obstacles in life that seem to keep pushing us down, deeper in the ground. Emily’s story certainly fits along those lines. At one point, Emily was a promising art school student with dreams and plans. Due to several unfortunate circumstances, Emily soon found herself struggling to make ends meet, and drowning in debt. Emily isn’t lazy, she isn’t a pushover, and she is dumb. No matter how hard she works, however, she can’t seem to dig herself out of the hole she’s found herself in. When Emily is presented with a solution to her problems, something that her drive and work ethic makes her perfect for, she realizes this might be her shot at starting over. 

Emily The Criminal is not a unique story at all. In fact, there are certain elements that feel like they are directly ripped off from other, recent, popular content. In the recent hit comedy drama series “Good Girls,” Christina Hendricks plays a bored housewife whose life is spiraling. When a handsome bad guy (Manny Montana) finds his way into her life and exposes her to the seduction of the criminal world, Hendricks finds that her personality is perfect to succeed in such an environment. Emily The Criminal presents the exact same genetic makeup, but it is presented as a more hard-hitting drama, and only lasts an hour and a half. 

Sometimes, a shorter runtime can force an idea to cut out the fat and focus on tighter writing. In this case, however, Emily The Criminal comes off as rushed. While I fully believed that the characters were capable of their actions, the superspeed pacing of the film felt unreasonable at times. Seemingly moments after professional criminal Youcef (Theo Rossi) gives Emily her first job, he’s already falling in love with her and showing her the backend of his secret business. 

The con itself is easy to wrap your head around. When you think of things you’ve seen on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, that are “new” or “still sealed,” you’ve probably seen everything from TVs to cleaning supplies. In Emily The Criminal, Youcef runs a theft ring where he supplies shoppers with stolen credit cards to purchase items and bring them back for Youcef to sell. When Emily excels at the shopping part, she wants to learn more about the other side of the business. While I wouldn’t doubt that someone would fall in love with Emily, it seemed a bit jarring that this master criminal would jeopardize his empire so quickly for the first pretty girl that walked into his shop. 

Aubrey Plaza has long teased the phenomenal range of her talent. While most know her from comedy, lackadaisical roles in “Parks and Recreation,” “Portlandia” and “Drunk History,” Plaza has time and time again shown us that she can transform into more dramatic characters when given the chance. Her previous performances in projects like “Black Bear” and the upcoming “Spin Me Around,” have showcased her capabilities in drama settings. Emily The Criminal is no different. Plaza did an excellent job in selling her character as a genuine human being who’s fed up with the shit life keeps throwing her way. When she realizes she can excel by stepping into the life of a criminal, she’s eager to do what it takes to achieve the dreams she once thought were unobtainable. 

I really enjoyed this movie, as the performances all around were fantastic. For the most part, the motivations of these characters and the situations they found themselves in were believable. While the story isn’t necessarily original, neither are the lives many of us lead. There was a definite sense of relatability in the struggles of the lead character, and I found myself invested in her struggle. I do, however, think the film could have been fleshed out a bit and allowed time to breathe.

Rorschach Rating:

Mental Health Moment: While I doubt the majority of people who view this film will suddenly want to drop their regular 9-5 jobs in search of the easy cons that could net them big bucks, I could understand if this film inspires folks to seek out the easier paths in life. Sometimes the straight and narrow road isn’t so straight and narrow. In fact, more times than not, the straight and narrow features obstacles that can be hard to overcome. A person can quickly find themselves in an upside down situation with now clear path towards righting themselves. While it might not be easy to ask for help, there are people out there willing to do so. While you might feel embarrassed, know that these people aren’t there to shame you. I would bet that everyone of us has an hindrance in our lives that we’ve struggled with time and time again, failing to overcome. Instead of letting that wear you down, I challenge you to reach out to someone for help. Whatever your obstacle is, there is someone in your community trained to help you tackle that. Asking for help isn’t always easy, but it can lead to lightening your load and changing your outlook on life.

If you or someone you know is reading this right now and struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message, or tweet at us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!

Victims and Villains is written (and produced) by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey and others, and edited by Cam Smith. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. Emily the Criminal is property of Vertical Films; we do not own nor claim any rights.

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