Emily the Criminal is a 2022 crime drama written and directed by John Patton Ford, in his directorial debut. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24th, 2022, to very positive reviews. The rights to the film were purchased by Roadside Attractions and Vertical Entertainment.
Emily (Aubrey Plaza) is saddled with student debt and locked out of the job market due to a minor criminal record. Desperate for income, she takes a shady gig as a “dummy shopper,” buying goods with stolen credit cards supplied by a handsome and charismatic middleman named Youcef (Theo Rossi). Faced with a series of dead-end job interviews, Emily soon finds herself seduced by the quick cash and illicit thrills of black-market capitalism, and increasingly interested in her mentor Youcef. Together, they hatch a plan to bring their business to the next level in Los Angeles.
Emily the Criminal is set to debut in select theaters on August 12th.