Enter a Rotten Tomatoes movie slug to inspect the stored movie, batches, snapshots, and reviews.
Movie ID: 771
RT slug: emily_the_criminal
RT URL: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/emily_the_criminal
Release year: 2022
Runtime: 97 mins
Wide release date: 2022-08-12
Limited release date: —
Festival premiere date: 2022-01-24
Streaming release date: —
Tomatometer final: 93%
Audience score final: —
Genres: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Directors: John Patton Ford
Writers: John Patton Ford
Producers: Aubrey Plaza, Drew Sykes, Tyler Davidson
MPAA rating: R
Executive Producers: —
Created: 2026-06-16 21:11:00
Updated: 2026-06-16 21:11:00
Burdened by debt and shut out of the job market, a young woman becomes involved in a credit card fraud scheme that pulls her deeper into Los Angeles crime.
—
Canonical reviews: 207
Canonical fresh: 193
Canonical rotten: 14
Canonical calculated Tomatometer: 93%
Latest snapshot UTC: 2026-06-16 15:31:04
Snapshot Tomatometer: 93%
Snapshot review count: 207
Snapshot fresh count: 193
Snapshot rotten count: 14
Source note: Imported from manual review paste batch #1353 (full_snapshot)
| Company | Role |
|---|---|
| Roadside Attractions | distributor |
| Vertical Entertainment | distributor |
| Billing | Name | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aubrey Plaza | Emily |
| 2 | Theo Rossi | Youcef |
| 3 | Megalyn Echikunwoke | Liz |
| 4 | Jonathan Avigdori | Khalil |
| 5 | Kim Yarbrough | Secretary |
| Batch ID | Status | Mode | Created | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 787 | processed | — | 2026-06-16 21:11:00 | Processed successfully into movie_id=771 using update_mode=merge_non_empty. |
| Batch ID | Local Snapshot | UTC Snapshot | Entered % | Entered Count | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1353 | 2026-06-16 10:31:00 (America/Panama) | 2026-06-16 15:31:04 | 93% | 207 | processed | Mode=full_snapshot. Processed 207 row(s); 0 row error(s). Parsed unique reviews in this batch=207, fresh=193, rotten=14, tomatometer=93%. Net new reviews added=207, fresh=193, rotten=14. Current canonical totals=207 reviews, 193 fresh, 14 rotten, tomatometer=93% (93.237%). Entered review count matched parsed batch count (207). Entered tomatometer matched parsed batch value (93%). |
| ID | Critic | Outlet | Fresh? | Score | RT Time Raw | Approx Published UTC | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 174887 | Anna Hoang | Boston Hassle | Rotten | 2.5/5 | 2025-07-20T12:43:00Z | 2025-07-20 12:43:00 | At times, I can’t tell if we’re supposed to believe that there is a darkness inside Emily that is kicked and pushed around until it’s inverted. If so, I sorta wish they devised a descent of ludicrous ends. |
| 174888 | Michael Cook | Geek Vibes Nation | Fresh | 4/5 | 2025-07-17T21:51:30Z | 2025-07-17 21:51:30 | Buoyed by excellent performances from Plaza and Rossi and a tight, character-driven script, Emily the Criminal is an absolutely thrilling experience from start to finish. |
| 174889 | Jack Walters | Loud and Clear Reviews | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2025-02-15T21:37:31Z | 2025-02-15 21:37:31 | "Emily The Criminal is a tight-knit thriller that effectively doubles as an arresting examination of those driven to crime by American capitalism." |
| 174890 | Stephanie Zacharek | TIME Magazine | Fresh | — | 2024-08-01T20:21:08Z | 2024-08-01 20:21:08 | Director John Patton Ford gives us a modern thriller that also works as an excoriation of the economic injustices that separate the haves from the have-nots in America. |
| 174891 | Eddie Harrison | film-authority.com | Fresh | 4/5 | 2024-07-29T08:46:01Z | 2024-07-29 08:46:01 | ‘…what makes this so striking is that crime staples of couch-potato experience, suddenly seem so real, dangerous and anxiety-inducing; if our workplace practices are criminal, we can hardly expect our increasingly exploited workforce to feel any different |
| 174892 | David Walsh | World Socialist Web Site | Fresh | 2/4 | 2024-07-03T01:30:44Z | 2024-07-03 01:30:44 | Writer-director Ford, who introduces intriguing social facts into his work, seems unclear himself about the driving forces in the drama. |
| 174893 | Sarah Vincent | Cambridge Day | Fresh | — | 2023-08-16T01:10:20Z | 2023-08-16 01:10:20 | Plaza projects her character’s apprehension and channels it into moral outrage directed at her attackers as well as her physical and societal limitations. |
| 174894 | Hector A. Gonzalez | The Movie Buff | Fresh | C+ | 2023-07-29T10:00:58Z | 2023-07-29 10:00:58 | Plaza is an indie cinema screen magnet; saying that she killed this role isn’t something that causes shock. |
| 174895 | Elissa Suh | Moviepudding (Substack) | Rotten | — | 2023-07-28T14:50:30Z | 2023-07-28 14:50:30 | ...the film’s visual inertia undermines the tremendous significance of the story, particularly its ending... |
| 174896 | Paul Kanieski | KSQD Community Radio | Fresh | — | 2023-07-26T00:16:29Z | 2023-07-26 00:16:29 | Emily the Criminal is an edge-of-your-seat thriller aimed directly at millennials, replacing the glamor and sexiness prevalent in crime films made by previous generations with an indictment against the stacked deck economy that’s become the status quo. |
| 174897 | Ilan Preskovsky | Channel24 (South Africa) | Rotten | 3/5 | 2023-07-25T21:41:16Z | 2023-07-25 21:41:16 | It doesn't really matter what the "objective" strengths and weaknesses of the film are... it's a movie of intense emotional potency, and I suspect that whether you like it or not will come down entirely to how you react to it on a purely gut level. |
| 174898 | Michael Cook | KARK-TV | Fresh | 8.5/10 | 2023-07-24T21:25:54Z | 2023-07-24 21:25:54 | This one [the movie], with Aubrey Plaza, is probably the best role I've ever seen her do. |
| 174899 | Leonardo Garcia Tsao | La Jornada | Fresh | — | 2023-07-10T14:15:05Z | 2023-07-10 14:15:05 | Perhaps the realization is too distant for the character and there isn't an attempt to penetrate her psychology and motivation. Nonetheless, it's clear that the promise of the title is more than fulfilled. [Full review in Spanish] |
| 174900 | Bill Bria | Vague Visages | Fresh | — | 2023-06-06T19:18:35Z | 2023-06-06 19:18:35 | Far and away the most pervasive aspect of Emily the Criminal is its depiction of being on the sidelines of life in America, almost through no fault of one’s own. |
| 174901 | Grant Watson | Fiction Machine | Fresh | 8/10 | 2023-05-08T23:10:47Z | 2023-05-08 23:10:47 | A small gem just waiting for viewers to discover it. You should make sure that you do. |
| 174902 | Pedro Gallego | Espinof | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2023-04-04T16:59:19Z | 2023-04-04 16:59:19 | Emily the Criminal confirms Plaza as one of the most magnificent performers of our times, and she should be offered roles of every kind. [Full review in Spanish] |
| 174903 | Craig Mathieson | The Age (Australia) | Fresh | 4/5 | 2023-03-16T21:19:31Z | 2023-03-16 21:19:31 | As an arts graduate on the wrong side of inequality, Plaza is riveting as a young woman finding her foot in the Los Angeles underworld. |
| 174904 | Shannon O'Connor | The Daily Beast | Fresh | — | 2023-02-28T00:37:56Z | 2023-02-28 00:37:56 | Emily the Criminal is just the latest in a decade’s worth of iconic, perfect, unforgettable dramatic roles for the queen of deadpan. |
| 174905 | Dan Buffa | Ramble On With Buffa (Substack) | Fresh | B+ | 2023-02-19T19:40:37Z | 2023-02-19 19:40:37 | The movie has a social commentary that’s not preachy, putting on display the cut-off predicament that ex-cons of all ages run into. Plaza just keeps getting better and better. |
| 174906 | Steve Murray | ArtsATL | Fresh | — | 2023-01-31T23:27:09Z | 2023-01-31 23:27:09 | Plaza’s tough but sympathetic performance keeps you hooked all the way. |
| 174907 | Catherine Bray | Empire Magazine | Fresh | 4/5 | 2023-01-25T16:02:31Z | 2023-01-25 16:02:31 | As neatly set-up as the world of the film is, it wouldn’t work half as well without Aubrey Plaza’s brilliantly specific lead performance, portraying Emily as an emotionally shut-down woman on the edge. |
| 174908 | Neal Pollack | Book & Film Globe | Fresh | 4/5 | 2023-01-09T19:07:36Z | 2023-01-09 19:07:36 | Emily the Criminal is great at portraying the side of L.A. that we all know and love from classic noir, but also contemporizing it. |
| 174909 | Robert Roten | Laramie Movie Scope | Fresh | A | 2023-01-04T20:34:40Z | 2023-01-04 20:34:40 | Aubrey Plaza is just incredible in the lead performance. She's just a skinny little thing, but she really makes you believe that she can hold her ground with bigger, tougher guys. She also makes you believe that she has real steel inside her. |
| 174910 | Mitchell Beaupre | The Film Stage | Fresh | 8.5/10 | 2023-01-03T21:50:11Z | 2023-01-03 21:50:11 | Using crippling student loan debt as a motivation for someone breaking bad as opposed to any sort of revenge plot is a genius move, and Ford loads the film with down-to-earth details that make Emily’s story feel so intrinsically rooted in the real world. |
| 174911 | Alex Billington | FirstShowing.net | Fresh | 9/10 | 2022-12-30T00:58:25Z | 2022-12-30 00:58:25 | It's a late fest highlight, one of my faves. It remains hyper focused and never wanders, with a 96 minute runtime that is just right for this story... |
| 174912 | Carla Renata | The Curvy Film Critic | Fresh | — | 2022-12-29T01:43:03Z | 2022-12-29 01:43:03 | Aubrey Plaza, gives a nervy, committed performance, transforming Emily from an embittered temp worker into a stone-cold thief. She is a boss for the entire film ultimately creating her journey on her terms |
| 174913 | Scott Phillips | Forbes | Fresh | — | 2022-12-29T00:13:58Z | 2022-12-29 00:13:58 | It’s difficult to comprehend this is a debut feature from writer-director John Patton Ford. The filmmaking is so assured. The narrative is so tight. It feels like the work of a seasoned pro. |
| 174914 | Diego Batlle | Otroscines.com | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-12-28T17:58:10Z | 2022-12-28 17:58:10 | There's a style reminiscent of the Safdie brothers (Uncut Gems) in Ford's film, but this writer/protagonist duo delivers a tour de force with its own signature and merits. [Full review in Spanish] |
| 174915 | Chad Byrnes | LA Weekly/Village Voice | Fresh | — | 2022-12-23T18:40:16Z | 2022-12-23 18:40:16 | This is not your usual indie fare; it’s a guileless indictment of the broken American dream and one of the best films of the year. |
| 174916 | Dustin Rowles | Pajiba | Fresh | — | 2022-12-19T22:02:42Z | 2022-12-19 22:02:42 | It’s a tight 96-minute runtime and it’s directed with quiet ferocity by John Patton Ford, who is making his feature directorial debut here. Based on this, he’s probably gonna get more jobs |
| 174917 | Dylan Roth | Observer | Fresh | — | 2022-12-14T19:02:55Z | 2022-12-14 19:02:55 | Emily is Plaza’s Michael Corleone, a character who erodes your sympathies so slowly that you almost don’t notice what’s becoming of her — or perhaps, what she always was. |
| 174918 | Katie Rife | Polygon | Fresh | — | 2022-12-12T18:47:10Z | 2022-12-12 18:47:10 | As a crime thriller, Emily the Criminal is well-written and absorbingly paced, but it’s Plaza’s fearless work that makes it memorable. |
| 174919 | Lori C. | Ready Steady Cut | Fresh | 4.5/5 | 2022-12-11T14:01:31Z | 2022-12-11 14:01:31 | Emily The Criminal is a brilliant piece of art that’s particularly relevant to today’s world. It’s almost terrifyingly realistic and shows how far a person is capable of going when society turns its back on them. |
| 174920 | Eric Marchen | Rogers TV | Fresh | B+ | 2022-12-10T22:11:05Z | 2022-12-10 22:11:05 | Plaza absolutely crushes it! |
| 174921 | Jared Mobarak | Hey, Have You Seen ...? | Fresh | 7/10 | 2022-11-23T15:37:05Z | 2022-11-23 15:37:05 | A bit overt in its messaging, I liked the parallel dramatic arcs pitting the lead's personal and professional awakenings together for a tense climax. |
| 174922 | Ruben Peralta Rigaud | Cocalecas | Fresh | — | 2022-11-21T19:59:55Z | 2022-11-21 19:59:55 | This is a down-to-earth, small-scale, tightly focused genre film. [Full review in Spanish] |
| 174923 | Maria Lattila | WhyNow (UK) | Rotten | 3/5 | 2022-11-19T17:37:57Z | 2022-11-19 17:37:57 | Emily The Criminal isn’t in any way bad, it’s just that Plaza is way too good and nothing reaches her level. |
| 174924 | Heidy Morales | Hye's Musings | Fresh | 3/4 | 2022-11-14T03:19:54Z | 2022-11-14 03:19:54 | Written and directed by John Patton Ford, the film showcases Aubrey’s versatility and screen presence. Rossi is cast well as co-star and sidekick. Cinematography by Jeff Bierman works well in evoking the moodiness of the film with cool tones. |
| 174925 | Dallas King | Outtake Mag | Fresh | 3/5 | 2022-11-13T08:41:53Z | 2022-11-13 08:41:53 | Emily the Criminal is a decent thriller driven by an interesting character, but from the faltering pace to the predictable plot, the story overall fails to match the intensity of Plaza’s lead performance. |
| 174926 | Rich Cline | Shadows on the Wall | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2022-11-03T00:35:43Z | 2022-11-03 00:35:43 | It's a bracing look at a society that makes it almost impossible for someone to escape their past. So even as it dips into several thriller cliches, it remains gripping. |
| 174927 | Brian Viner | Daily Mail (UK) | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-10-29T11:37:43Z | 2022-10-29 11:37:43 | A hugely assured debut for writer-director John Patton Ford. |
| 174928 | Tim Robey | Daily Telegraph (UK) | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-10-28T21:17:51Z | 2022-10-28 21:17:51 | Much of the film’s success comes down to Plaza, who has left that deadpan sphinxlike mode of hers some way back in the rear-view mirror. |
| 174929 | Leslie Felperin | Financial Times | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-10-27T17:46:56Z | 2022-10-27 17:46:56 | The glower of actor Aubrey Plaza is a thing of great beauty and precision, as subtle as a stiletto secretly sheathed in a kicky pair of boots. |
| 174930 | Alistair Harkness | Scotsman | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-10-26T12:07:58Z | 2022-10-26 12:07:58 | Debut writer/director John Patton Ford wrings plenty of queasy, claustrophobic tension out of this scenario and Plaza – clearly relishing the chance to play gritty after a career of kooks and weirdoes – is as good as she’s ever been. |
| 174931 | David Nusair | Reel Film Reviews | Fresh | 3.5/4 | 2022-10-18T20:22:51Z | 2022-10-18 20:22:51 | ...a wholeheartedly enthralling endeavor... |
| 174932 | Kat Hughes | FILMHOUNDS Magazine | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-10-11T21:12:11Z | 2022-10-11 21:12:11 | A dark exploration of the American Dream and the dangers that it holds |
| 174933 | Scott Tobias | The Reveal | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2022-10-03T01:36:39Z | 2022-10-03 01:36:39 | Through the conventions of a tidy and efficient little thriller, Emily the Criminal paints a bleak picture of a generation that’s entering adulthood with few avenues to prosperity. |
| 174934 | Mark Jackson | Epoch Times | Fresh | 3/5 | 2022-09-29T16:48:45Z | 2022-09-29 16:48:45 | "Emily" is apropos of the record numbers of low-wage employees currently voluntarily quitting jobs that can never pay the bills. Which is one of the planned steps towards a society's workers letting the state take care of them. An excellent example of it. |
| 174935 | John Serba | Decider | Fresh | — | 2022-09-28T22:10:59Z | 2022-09-28 22:10:59 | It’s like Robin Hood robbing the rich and giving to the poor; it has the allure of punk rock. |
| 174936 | Filipe Freitas | Always Good Movies | Fresh | 3/5 | 2022-09-18T05:14:14Z | 2022-09-18 05:14:14 | If you like your crime thrillers slightly smoked with fraught anxiety, then you should be able to commune with this film at a satisfactory level. |
| 174937 | Joe Friar | Fort Worth Report | Fresh | 4/4 | 2022-09-05T16:55:39Z | 2022-09-05 16:55:39 | Aubrey Plaza turns in a career-high as a low-grade gangster forced into the Los Angeles underworld to pay off her student loans. The tension is unyielding, the writing impeccable, and the cast first-rate especially Theo Rossi as Plaza’s mentor. |
| 174938 | Eileen Jones | The Jacobin | Fresh | — | 2022-09-02T23:29:23Z | 2022-09-02 23:29:23 | It’s strangely exhilarating to see a film imbued with such 1970s-style worker rage. |
| 174939 | Dana Han-Klein | We're Watching What?! | Fresh | 3.8/5 | 2022-09-02T17:06:45Z | 2022-09-02 17:06:45 | Plaza is at her absolute best in this unapologetic look at repurposing talent for "unsavory" activities. The film highlights how broken the system is while not getting preachy. |
| 174940 | Bennett Campbell Ferguson | Willamette Week | Fresh | 4/4 | 2022-09-01T21:58:31Z | 2022-09-01 21:58:31 | While another filmmaker might have seen Emily as a cautionary tale -- a working woman whose life affirms the immutable laws of class -- Ford sees a screwed-over millennial whose wrath and cunning have reached a boiling point. |
| 174941 | Brian Eggert | Deep Focus Review | Fresh | 4/4 | 2022-08-31T13:07:58Z | 2022-08-31 13:07:58 | Plaza disappears into her role, resulting in a career-best performance and one of 2022’s most captivating screen characters. |
| 174942 | DarkSkyLady | Cup of Soul | Fresh | — | 2022-08-29T18:42:56Z | 2022-08-29 18:42:56 | On the one hand, Emily’s relatability, and Aubrey Plaza’s performance, deliver an explosive story. Emily is a ticking time bomb. On the other hand, the implication of what the world is coming to if a white girl cannot succeed feels disingenuous. |
| 174943 | Monique Jones | Common Sense Media | Fresh | 3/5 | 2022-08-26T21:38:20Z | 2022-08-26 21:38:20 | Plaza is the film's true heart and force. |
| 174944 | Stephen Silver | Splice Today | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-08-26T03:37:56Z | 2022-08-26 03:37:56 | Based on a great idea, and it executes that idea flawlessly. |
| 174945 | Al Alexander | The Patriot Ledger | Fresh | A | 2022-08-24T12:47:38Z | 2022-08-24 12:47:38 | Beyond eliciting an Oscar-worthy performance from the vastly underrated Aubrey Plaza, Ford delivers the perfect movie for an era in which millions of young people are dealing with the double whammy of student-loan debt and an exploitative gig economy. |
| 174946 | Shawn Edwards | Fox 4 Kansas City | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-08-22T18:17:02Z | 2022-08-22 18:17:02 | Aubrey plaza is amazing… one of the best performances and best movies of the year. |
| 174947 | Kurt Loder | Reason Online | Fresh | — | 2022-08-22T17:44:16Z | 2022-08-22 17:44:16 | Emily is a woman who's found no way to exert control over her life until she gets in touch with her inner badass. |
| 174948 | Fico Cangiano | CineXpress | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2022-08-21T23:58:53Z | 2022-08-21 23:58:53 | Aubrey Plaza gives one of her best outings in this solid thriller that's tense, unpredictable and never dull. [Full review in Spanish] |
| 174949 | Leonora Waite | The Young Folks | Fresh | 8/10 | 2022-08-19T22:17:22Z | 2022-08-19 22:17:22 | Emily the Criminal is genuinely successful generally, both as a social commentary and an intense, lean-and-mean crime thriller. |
| 174950 | Robert Denerstein | Denerstein Unleashed | Fresh | — | 2022-08-19T22:15:28Z | 2022-08-19 22:15:28 | Aubrey Plaza excels... |
| 174951 | Katie Liggera | Cultured Vultures | Fresh | 7/10 | 2022-08-19T15:14:02Z | 2022-08-19 15:14:02 | Equal parts empowering and bleak, there’s nothing criminal about taking the time to enjoy Aubrey Plaza’s stellar performance in this suspenseful thriller. |
| 174952 | Tom Meek | Cambridge Day | Fresh | 3/4 | 2022-08-18T19:42:49Z | 2022-08-18 19:42:49 | Emily the Criminal concocts a narrative that’s just as much character study and social commentary as it is a crime drama. |
| 174953 | Eileen G'Sell | Metro Times (Detroit, MI) | Fresh | — | 2022-08-18T19:39:05Z | 2022-08-18 19:39:05 | As much as the film crackles as a Millennial revenge tale, Emily the Criminal simmers as both a character study and a trenchant indictment of the U.S. carceral system and structural poverty it abets. |
| 174954 | Robert W. Butler | Butler's Cinema Scene | Fresh | B | 2022-08-18T19:26:58Z | 2022-08-18 19:26:58 | A low-keyed drama that argues persuasively that when the system is rigged crime actually does pay. |
| 174955 | Peter Canavese | Groucho Reviews | Fresh | 3/4 | 2022-08-18T19:01:02Z | 2022-08-18 19:01:02 | Largely feels cut from the cloth of the neorealists...[a] compelling dramatization of the strain the American economy puts on the indebted class of gig workers, and the lengths people may find themselves going to in the face of dwindling options. |
| 174956 | Randy Myers | San Jose Mercury News | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2022-08-18T16:19:07Z | 2022-08-18 16:19:07 | Dicey, daring and unpredictable and should cast a broader spotlight on both its star and its filmmaker. |
| 174957 | Jorge Rivera Rubio | QiiBO | Fresh | 4.5/5 | 2022-08-18T03:53:28Z | 2022-08-18 03:53:28 | Plaza leaves behind her typecast to give us her best work yet as a woman running in desperation mode, simultaneously presenting vulnerability and strength, in an intense film about greed, love, and survival at all cost. Full review in Spanish |
| 174958 | David Bax | Battleship Pretension | Fresh | — | 2022-08-18T00:55:41Z | 2022-08-18 00:55:41 | Ford has plenty to say in his feature debut but Plaza helps him say it without losing sight of the human psychology and drama at the heart of his messaging. |
| 174959 | Amelia Harvey | Screen Queens | Fresh | — | 2022-08-17T23:39:58Z | 2022-08-17 23:39:58 | 3.5 Emily The Criminal takes a character and a situation many audience members will connect with and throws it away in favour of a generic indie crime finale. The set-up and the lead performance promise far more than the ending of this crime thriller... |
| 174960 | Matt Conway | Battle Royale With Cheese | Fresh | — | 2022-08-17T19:34:50Z | 2022-08-17 19:34:50 | An incendiary lead performance from Aubrey Plaza elevates Emily the Criminal into an urgent meditation on our survival of the fittest economy. |
| 174961 | Chris McCoy | Memphis Flyer | Fresh | — | 2022-08-17T15:00:43Z | 2022-08-17 15:00:43 | Emily The Criminal is another masterful performance by Plaza, who has quietly become one of the best actors of her generation. |
| 174962 | Justin Chang | NPR | Fresh | — | 2022-08-16T19:02:28Z | 2022-08-16 19:02:28 | But if Emily the Criminal isn't always successful as a genre exercise, it's thoroughly gripping as a portrait of a woman always operating in survival mode. |
| 174963 | Erik Childress | Movie Madness Podcast | Fresh | 3/4 | 2022-08-16T18:03:28Z | 2022-08-16 18:03:28 | The first half generates some real fire before the final act decelerates into familiarity, but Aubrey Plaza maintains that blaze throughout and is a reason to follow all the way to the end. |
| 174964 | Keith Garlington | Keith & the Movies | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-08-16T14:18:42Z | 2022-08-16 14:18:42 | I can’t say enough about Aubrey Plaza’s performance. Not only does she keenly capture Emily’s vulnerability but also her toughness – both pivotal ingredients to this fascinating character. |
| 174965 | Ray Pride | Newcity | Fresh | 7/10 | 2022-08-16T04:13:21Z | 2022-08-16 04:13:21 | The gritty look, the harsh critique of the punishing shallows of capitalism, and Plaza's incendiary yet dry righteousness: it's a dark parable of empowerment but it's also a bold, dark showcase for her gifts. |
| 174966 | Rex Reed | Observer | Fresh | 3.5/4 | 2022-08-15T23:52:08Z | 2022-08-15 23:52:08 | ... It’s energizing to see something as keenly observed and uniquely competent as Emily the Criminal. It’s a tense and engaging thriller that looks and feels distinctively different. |
| 174967 | K. Austin Collins | Rolling Stone | Fresh | — | 2022-08-15T20:20:18Z | 2022-08-15 20:20:18 | As a social tract, Emily the Criminal is more impassioned than wise. As a thriller, it fares better -- in that case, no one’s asking for wisdom. |
| 174968 | Alan Zilberman | Spectrum Culture | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2022-08-15T12:51:43Z | 2022-08-15 12:51:43 | How would Emily stop a dangerous man pursuing her in a car? What kind of attitude does she need to be intimidating? By pretending to be tough, Emily becomes tough, and through Plaza’s performance that transition is seamless. |
| 174969 | Leo Brady | AMovieGuy.com | Fresh | 3.5/4 | 2022-08-14T12:50:42Z | 2022-08-14 12:50:42 | Emily the Criminal is an intense experience and an introspective look at the way forgiveness is never given, no matter how much you repent. |
| 174970 | Patrick McDonald | WBGR-FM (93.7 FM - Monroe, WI) | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-08-14T11:21:01Z | 2022-08-14 11:21:01 | Aubrey Plaza's Emily is a cagey, super badass and sexy character who keeps surprising the audience throughout the story. She is best doing a slow burn with the character, then pouncing with a wild veracity opposite to Emily's exterior. Soul Larceny! |
| 174971 | Jackie K. Cooper | jackiekcooper.com | Rotten | 5/10 | 2022-08-14T00:57:13Z | 2022-08-14 00:57:13 | Aubrey Plaza's star is in ascent and this movie showcases her talent The only problem is the meandering story that never rises above mediocre. |
| 174972 | John Urbancich | JMuvies | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-08-13T14:09:56Z | 2022-08-13 14:09:56 | The funny girl has grown up to become the woman in the little-seen "Black Bear" and "Best Sellers." Now, as a struggling artist-turned expert in credit card fraud, Plaza offers one of the year's most versatile performances in the role of her career. |
| 174973 | Jonathan W. Hickman | The Newnan Times-Herald | Fresh | 8/10 | 2022-08-13T13:58:51Z | 2022-08-13 13:58:51 | “Emily the Criminal” is a crackerjack crime thriller. It’s paced like something Mann might have scripted and shot with the energy of a Safdie picture. |
| 174974 | A.A. Dowd | Digital Trends | Fresh | — | 2022-08-13T00:27:44Z | 2022-08-13 00:27:44 | Veneer of grittiness aside, Emily the Criminal is ultimately something of a fantasy, shrewdly targeted at a postgraduate workforce crushed by debt. |
| 174975 | Kevin Carr | Fat Guys at the Movies | Fresh | 3/4 | 2022-08-12T23:06:15Z | 2022-08-12 23:06:15 | Surprisingly topical but not preachy, this movie makes its points while allowing for some interesting character moments. |
| 174976 | Cristina Escobar | Latino Rebels | Fresh | — | 2022-08-12T22:33:51Z | 2022-08-12 22:33:51 | Aubrey Plaza delivers a powerful performance. She transitions slowly over the course of the film, leaning in to own her presence, power, and sexuality as her time on screen mounts. |
| 174977 | Wade Major | FilmWeek (LAist) | Fresh | — | 2022-08-12T22:26:44Z | 2022-08-12 22:26:44 | It's almost a modern Western... A sharp film and really well directed. |
| 174978 | Tim Cogshell | FilmWeek (LAist) | Fresh | — | 2022-08-12T22:25:32Z | 2022-08-12 22:25:32 | What we get is this sort of pretty good Neo-Noir movie. |
| 174979 | David Lynch | KENS 5 TV (San Antonio) | Fresh | — | 2022-08-12T21:27:14Z | 2022-08-12 21:27:14 | What sets “Emily the Criminal” apart is that it presents its order of events as natural, cyclical and definitive, without foregoing character for fist-in-the-air histrionics. |
| 174980 | James Verniere | Boston Herald | Fresh | B+ | 2022-08-12T19:32:08Z | 2022-08-12 19:32:08 | Plaza expands her horizons with this nifty noir. Theo Rossi is also memorable. |
| 174981 | Kelly Vance | East Bay Express | Fresh | — | 2022-08-12T18:15:14Z | 2022-08-12 18:15:14 | Filmmaker Ford’s Emily screenplay makes good use of the wickedness lurking just beneath the surface of Plaza’s arguably comedic bad-girl persona. |
| 174982 | Chris Knight | National Post | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-08-12T18:08:13Z | 2022-08-12 18:08:13 | Plaza is superb in the role, in part because she’s playing so well against her usual type. |
| 174983 | Piers Marchant | Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | Fresh | — | 2022-08-12T17:08:29Z | 2022-08-12 17:08:29 | John Patton Ford's Emily the Criminal, from his own screenplay, offers up another great turn from Plaza, who has fully embraced her indie-goddess status, starring in (and producing) low-budget pictures with a great deal of panache. |
| 174984 | Sheila O'Malley | RogerEbert.com | Fresh | 4/4 | 2022-08-12T16:50:55Z | 2022-08-12 16:50:55 | An extremely impressive piece of work. |
| 174985 | Anne Brodie | What She Said | Fresh | — | 2022-08-12T15:30:18Z | 2022-08-12 15:30:18 | Well-executed and an interesting portrayal of a morally ambiguous woman facing test after test. |
| 174986 | Daniel M. Kimmel | North Shore Movies | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-08-12T14:55:56Z | 2022-08-12 14:55:56 | Plaza gives a knockout performance as “Emily The Criminal” and makes this one well worth seeing. |
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