The detective Emily the criminal is now available to stream on Netflix. Written and directed by John Patton Ford, the film has received critical acclaim since its release in August 2022, particularly for its gripping plot and the outstanding performances of each cast member.
The film centers on Emily (Aubrey Plaza), a young woman struggling to make ends meet due to significant college debt. Her job as a grocer is paying off, but it’s not enough to make ends meet, and as a convicted felon, she struggles to find a higher-paying career.
After doing her colleague a favor, he gives her the contact details to become a dummy shopper, which appeals to Emily as the payoff is substantial. In reality, the company is a credit card scam run by cousins Youcef (Theo Rossi) and Khalil (Jonathan Avigdori). Each newly assigned job brings more risks and pushes Emily into dangerous territory.
Warning: spoilers ahead Emily the criminal.
What happens between Emily, Youcef and Khalil at the end of Emily the Criminal?
After Emily goes shopping for Dummy at the same location twice in a week, Khalil shows up unannounced at Youcef’s mother’s house to confront Youcef and Emily. It is revealed that the police have camera footage of the shopping incident, putting all three at risk of being caught. After a heated argument, we next see Emily picking up Youcef, who has a cut on his head. Although we don’t know who is responsible for his wound, the event throws him over the edge and he erupts in a rage.
He reveals to Emily that he hasn’t been paid by Khalil in five months and wants out of his relationship with his cousin. Enraged, he plans to evict the business account shared with Khalil and any money he finds hidden around the office. As far as Youcef is concerned, he and Emily are now in business together, and he promises to give her part of the payoff should she agree to help him rob Khalil. Intrigued by the possibility of financial freedom, Emily agrees to the plan.
However, everything collapses when it turns out that Khalil is one step ahead in the game and has already withdrawn the money from the account, leaving Youcef with nothing after two years of work.
Emily tells Youcef that Khalil sees him as a weakling who doesn’t stand up for himself and suggests confronting him personally. Youcef is reluctant, however, as Khalil is hiding in a house surrounded by his dangerous right-hand men. Frustrated by Youcef’s inability to fight back, Emily gives him a motivational, pep talk and he eventually agrees to the plan after labeling her a bad influence.
When they arrive at the house, Youcef is waiting in the car while Emily rings the doorbell, pretending to be a delivery lady. She then drugs the man who answers, steals his phone, and she and Youcef lock him in the trunk of his car. They use his phone to text the other men in the house pretending to be him, telling them that his car has been jacked up and he needs their help at a certain address. The plan works, prompting the men to leave the house and leave her alone with Khalil.
As they enter his room, they hear the shower running, but he is nowhere to be seen. Khalil then comes from behind and hits Youcef on the head, knocking him to the ground. After recognizing Emily, he pulls her to the ground and begins strangling her.
Desperate to escape, Emily manages to grab a box cutter and stabs Khalil, breaking free from his grasp. She holds the carpet knife to his throat and threatens to hurt him if he doesn’t tell her where the money is. He eventually reveals it’s hidden in the fridge, and Emily finds the cash and grabs the bag. As she leaves the house, she drops a phone belonging to Khalil and tells him to call an ambulance and helps an injured Youcef out of the house.
When they make it back to the car, Emily Youcef asks where his car keys are, but he is delirious and informs her that he needs to go to the hospital. Youcef is shaken and asks Emily if she killed Khalil and shows remorse for what happened. When Emily starts hearing sirens, she knows time is running out and she apologizes to Youcef before fleeing the scene with the bag full of cash, leaving him behind.
Do Youcef and Khalil die in Emily the Criminal?
Although Khalil and Youcef needed urgent medical attention, the film doesn’t go into their story, so we don’t get to see what happens to them after Emily leaves. With that in mind, we can assume that the sirens heard while Emily and Youcef were in the car indicate that Khalil was able to call an ambulance, and he and Youcef will likely survive, with help along the way.
What happens to Emily at the end of Emily the Criminal and does she get caught?
The cops storm into Emily’s apartment, ready to arrest her, but they are too late as she has already left town. We then see her enjoying a new life in South America, a place she’s always wanted to live if she were to get out of debt. Emily is content and her passion for art is still engraved in her DNA as she draws portraits of her surroundings in the place she now calls home.
So what is Emily doing for work in South America? While it was always possible to give up her life of crime once she was freed from financial burdens, that wasn’t the route Emily took. However, she has paid a lot of attention to Khalil and Youcef’s partnership, so much so that she now teaches other willing bogus buyers about credit card fraud. The same rules and processes apply, with one major change, Emily now runs the business with no intention of leaving her life of crime behind.
Did you like it Emily the criminal, and what do you think of the ending? While there seem to be no plans for a sequel, viewers can’t help but wonder what Emily’s future as a copy of Youcef and Khalil might hold.
