Emily the Criminal

My brother compared this film to Uncut Gems, and while I understand where he's coming from, I ultimately think that's quite a generous comparison. Yes, Adam Sandler's and Aubrey Plaza's characters are similar in that they both are responsible for their own downfall, but the big difference for me was that I actually found myself rooting for and sympathizing with Sandler in spite of his flaws. That's not the case here. I just wasn't invested in these characters. The writing felt consistently underdeveloped and on the nose. Even a simple premise such as this needs to be navigated with some nuance, otherwise it ends up feeling hollow. Despite being underwhelmed by the writing, I would still praise the performances. I think the creators got exactly what they wanted from Aubrey Plaza and Theo Rossi, and the execution of their relationship was actually one of the story threads that was most effective. All in all, a generally well made film, but unfortunately the story just didn't work for me.