Chicago Critics Film Fest 2022 Review: Emily the Criminal

✰✰✰✰​ (out of five)

Synopsis: Saddled with student debt and unable to find work, a college graduate becomes involved in a credit card scam, acting as a dummy shopper and buying increasingly risky products with stolen credit cards.

Review: To say Aubrey Plaza has broken a mold is an understatement. Casting in roles aimed to capitalize on her dour, monotone schtick popularized on TV's Parks & Recreation have come through the years, but recently, she's found a new successful avenue to showcase the talent she clearly has, and Emily the Criminal is now exception. The overall film could use some brushing up, but the timeliness of plot's theme and Plaza's revelatory performance makes this film a compelling thriller to check out.