MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for Emily the Criminal

Emily the Criminal

2022 · 97 min

A taut, gritty plunge into desperation and crime, anchored by a fierce performance, keeping you tense and complicit throughout.

Directed by
John Patton Ford
Genres
Crime, Drama, Thriller
Starring
Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi, Megalyn Echikunwoke
Tagline
High risks come with even higher rewards.
Overview
Desperate for income, Emily takes a shady gig buying goods with stolen credit cards supplied by a charismatic middleman named Youcef. Seduced by the quick cash and illicit thrills, they hatch a plan to take their business to the next level.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

Rent or buy in the UK
  • Apple TV Store
  • Rakuten TV
  • Amazon Video
More options Data from JustWatch
Directed by
John Patton Ford
Genres
Crime, Drama, Thriller
Starring
Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi, Megalyn Echikunwoke
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • tensestrength 3 of 3
  • darkstrength 2 of 3
  • cynicalstrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 1 of 3
Pacing
brisk, 3 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • crime
  • class
  • ambition
  • survival
  • betrayal
Places
  • big city
  • road trip
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • nonlinear
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language strong
  • Violence strong
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action5
Horror2
Humour3
Realism8
Romance3
Tension8
Darkness7
Complexity5
Emotional weight7

More like this

Titles like Emily the Criminal

TV series

Lucky

2026

A sleek, propulsive chase that keeps you leaning forward, all sharp cons and closing walls, with a cool, wounded edge.

Tense, dark, brisk · about crime and survival

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • crime
  • survival
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Seasons
1
Details
LuckyHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

How to Make a Killing

2026

A sleek, witty thriller that keeps you guessing with its darkly comic tale of ambition and murder.

Same writer: John Patton Ford · Dark, cynical, brisk · about class and ambition · nonlinear

Also
Same writer: John Patton Ford
Via
  • dark
  • cynical
  • class
  • ambition
  • nonlinear
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
105 min
Details
How to Make a KillingHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Nightcrawler

2014

A cold, queasy plunge into LA nightlife, watching a hollow man turn human suffering into product with unnerving calm.

Tense, dark · about ambition · nonlinear

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • ambition
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
demanding
Runtime
118 min
Details
NightcrawlerHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Bad Genius

2017

A slick, propulsive caper that turns exam halls into heist set-pieces, buzzing with nerve-jangling suspense and a sharp sting of conscience.

Tense, cynical, brisk · about crime and class

Via
  • tense
  • cynical
  • crime
  • class
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
130 min
Details
Bad GeniusHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Thief

1981

A cool, brooding crime drama with stylish visuals and a pulsing synth score, building tension through methodical pacing and sudden violence.

Tense, dark · about crime and ambition · nonlinear

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • crime
  • ambition
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
123 min
Details
ThiefHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Get Out

2026

A gritty, fast-paced crime thriller full of double-crosses and sudden violence, keeping you tense and guessing until the end.

Tense, dark, brisk · about crime and survival

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • crime
  • survival
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
111 min
Details
The Get OutHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

The Cleaning Lady

2022–2025

A tense, propulsive crime drama where a mother's desperate love keeps tightening the vise around her.

Tense, dark, brisk · about crime and survival

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • crime
  • survival
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Seasons
4
Details
The Cleaning LadyHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Good Time

2017

A sweaty, propulsive night-long spiral of bad decisions, jittery neon anxiety and pounding synth score that leaves you breathless and uneasy.

Tense, dark · about crime and survival · nonlinear

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • crime
  • survival
  • nonlinear
Pacing
relentless
Attention
demanding
Runtime
102 min
Details
Good TimeHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Bound

1996

A stylish, twisty noir that keeps you on edge with its sharp dialogue, steamy romance, and sudden violence.

Tense, dark, brisk · about crime and betrayal

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • crime
  • betrayal
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
105 min
Details
BoundHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Killing

1956

A taut, fatalistic heist thriller that tightens like a noose, its clockwork plot and doomed characters leaving a bitter aftertaste.

Tense, dark, brisk · about crime and betrayal · nonlinear

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • crime
  • betrayal
  • nonlinear
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
85 min
Details
The KillingHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Town

2010

A tense, gritty crime drama that mixes hard-boiled heist action with a melancholy, doomed romance, all set in a working-class Boston enclave.

Tense, dark, brisk · about crime and betrayal

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • crime
  • betrayal
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
125 min
Details
The TownHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Hustlers

2019

A glittery, fast-talking crime story that seduces you with glamour, then slowly reveals the desperation and loyalty underneath.

Cynical, brisk · about crime and class · nonlinear

Via
  • cynical
  • crime
  • class
  • nonlinear
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
110 min
Details
HustlersHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Rent or buy
  • Apple TV Store
  • Rakuten TV
  • Amazon Video
  • Sky Store
  • YouTube

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
crime, drama, thriller
Directed by
John Patton Ford
Written by
John Patton Ford
Starring
Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Gina Gershon, Jonathan Avigdori, Bernardo Badillo, Craig Stark, John Billingsley
Music
Nathan Halpern
Cinematography
Jeff Bierman
Runtime
97 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
Arabic, Armenian, English, Korean, Spanish

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata