Emily the Criminal

Emily the Criminal had its world premiere at the 38th Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2022, and was released theatrically in the United States on August 12, 2022, by Vertical Entertainment and Roadside Attractions. The film received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its screenplay and Plaza’s performance. It earned four nominations at the 38th Independent Spirit Awards, including Best First Feature, with Ford winning Best First Screenplay.

A co-worker connects Emily to a “dummy shopper” service that promises to make her $200 in one hour. The service is revealed to be a credit card fraud ring. Emily meets Youcef, one of its organizers, who instructs her to purchase a flat-screen TV using a fake card and ID. The next day, Emily is sent to purchase a car. However, the dealer discovers the scam, leading to a physical altercation and Emily is injured.

As Youcef tends to her wounds they discuss their aspirations. Emily, an aspiring artist, wishes to visit South America, while Youcef plans to purchase a rental property. Emily asks for a bigger role in his operation, and Youcef teaches her how to make fake credit cards. He gives her a taser for protection and instructs her not to sell stolen goods at her home or scam the same store twice a week. When Youcef’s partner and cousin Khalil discovers them together, Youcef denies working with Emily. While Emily dogsits for her childhood friend Liz, a buyer finds her apartment and robs her earnings, taking the dog as well. She tases the buyer and reclaims both.

Emily invites Youcef to a party, which sparks a romance between them. When there is an opening at Liz’s advertising agency, she gets Emily an interview with her boss Alice. However, at the interview, Emily discovers the “job” is merely an unpaid internship. When Emily objects, Alice insults her and calls her spoiled.

At a dinner with Youcef’s family, Khalil reveals that Emily has been caught hitting the same store twice within a week, prompting the store to post security footage of her online. This leads to a falling-out between Youcef and Khalil, who cuts him out of the fraud ring and refuses to pay him for his past work. Youcef decides to rob the fraud ring itself. He and Emily arrive at the ring’s storage unit to find that Khalil has already taken everything and emptied their shared business bank account.

Emily convinces Youcef to ambush Khalil at his safehouse. Khalil severely injures Youcef before Emily can subdue him. Taking the ring’s money and assisting Youcef to his car, she realizes they have lost his car keys and cannot drive away. As police and ambulance sirens draw closer, Emily abandons Youcef in his car and flees with the money.

The police raid Emily’s apartment and find it empty. Now living in South America, she returns to making art. She also establishes a credit card fraud ring of her own, recruiting dummy shoppers with the promise of making $200 in one hour.