Aubrey Plaza’s Violent Crime Movie Is Trending On Netflix

Aubrey Plaza's dark film, Emily the Criminal, is climbing the Netflix charts.

By Danyell Marshall | Updated

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According to FlixPatrol, the new Aubrey Plaza movie Emily the Criminal is trending on Netflix. The dark thriller has dominated the top three in the United States and Canada. The hardworking actor has earned top marks for her dramatic role in the film, but far from her first foray into drama, this film adds to Plaza’s list of credits that aren’t about the laughs.

Aubrey Plaza became a household name after her iconic role as April Ludgate on Parks and Recreation. Audiences loved her deadpan, sardonic humor, and heart of gold. To say that she’s perfect for a dramatic thriller about the criminal underbelly of Los Angeles would be an understatement. Past roles have showcased Aubrey’s wide range of talents as she moves from one mind-bending part to the next.

In Emily The Criminal, Plaza’s titular character is wracked with student debt and struggling to find work. A minor criminal record stands between Emily and the job market, so she turns to a life of crime to survive. What begins as petty credit card fraud dives into a world as dark as you’d expect from an Aubrey Plaza movie, however, Emily is relatable, gritty, and convincing in this story of unlikely fate.

She may have gotten her start in comedy, but several serious Aubrey Plaza movies display her dramatic talent. 2015’s neo-noir The Driftless Area saw Plaza cast beside Zooey Deschanel, Anton Yelchin, and John Hawkes in a slow and steady metaphysical thriller, directed by Zachary Sluser, that tells a story of chance, crime, love, and fate. Plaza’s supporting role is proof of her dramatic chops as The Driftless Area is a disjointed, non-linear cautionary tale about the perils of greed.

Aubrey Plaza in The White Lotus

She starred with Michael Caine in the emotional Best Sellers. This sentimental Aubrey Plaza movie has funny moments, but her character deals with some serious themes. In Best Sellers, Plaza’s character inherits a failing publishing house from her father.

Her best shot at saving the business involves getting a retired, grumpy author (Michael Caine) to publish one last book and go on tour. Caine’s character puts Plaza through her dramatic paces with ridiculous behavior. Plaza’s frustration is irresistibly relatable.

Black Bear is a dark and heavy black comedy that’s more bleak than funny. It’s perfect for people who hate happy endings. Aubrey delivers an alarming performance in this twisted thriller about love and obsession while fear, panic, longing, and despair are all themes in Black Bear, which ultimately pits a woman against nature. Audiences looking for a twisting journey will appreciate this Aubrey Plaza movie.

With a long resume of dramatic roles to boast, Aubrey Plaza deserves her spot at the top of the Netflix charts. Nailing deadpan humor, authentic vulnerability, and primal fear is an impressive skillset that Plaza is keen to display. Emily The Criminal transposes everyday desperation onto a larger-than-life setting. Aubrey Plaza has come a long way since her time as April Ludgate, proving that she has the chops for cringe comedy and dramatic acting.