“Emily the Criminal” works best as time capsule fodder.
Aubrey Plaza plays a down-on-her-luck soul saddled with college debt and one terrible mistake. Her plan? Break both the law and common sense to get ahead.
The film doubles as a critique of modern capitalism, suggesting the current system is “rigged” against its own citizens.
Reality is more complicated, of course, and college graduates shouldn’t expect to lead their best lives in a New York Minute. That explains why the film can’t stick with reality long enough to make us care for the titular “Criminal.”
Plaza plays Emily, a hard-working food caterer drone hungry for a better life. She graduated college with an art degree, but a single stain on her record hurts her career prospects.
(The reveal of what actually...