If You Enjoyed Aubrey Plaza’s Darker 2024 Projects, Check Out Her Crime Thriller From 2 Years Ago

Aubrey Plaza is best known for her dry humor and comedic performances in titles like Parks & Recreation, but her 2024 releases are a great reminder to check out a dark thriller titled Emily the Criminal. 2024 was a big year for Plaza. Not only did she appear in Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, but she also portrayed Rio (aka Death) in Agatha All Along, marking her MCU debut. The show based on Agatha Harkness was one of Disney+’s more emotional releases, with Rio’s presence as Death adding a grim element to the MCU entry.

Plaza also appeared in My Old Ass as the older version of the main character for a very unorthodox coming-of-age tale. After a young Elliot summons the 39-year-old version of herself, Plaza’s My Old Ass character tries to steer her younger self in the right direction while also giving lessons on aging and adulthood. By My Old Ass‘ ending, the older Elliot also learns a few lessons, making for a tragic twist. If you were impressed by Plaza’s recent dramatic roles, we have another movie for you.

Aubrey Plaza Starred In 2022’s Emily The Criminal – Why It’s Worth Watching

A TV Show Spinoff Is In Development

Even with Aubrey Plaza’s recent “dark” roles, they incorporated comedic elements. However, there’s a crime thriller from 2022 starring Plaza that allowed the actress to truly tap into her dark. Unlike her performances connected to existing franchises or series, like Legion, The White Lotus, or even Agatha All Along, Emily the Criminal truly gives Plaza a chance to embrace her dark side without dipping into her well-proven comedic chops. The movie from John Patton Ford has 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and manages to craft an intriguing thriller despite the unlikable aspect of the characters, including Emily.

Still, Emily’s role as a downtrodden job-seeker suffering from student loan debt creates a sliver of reliability before the character’s life goes off the rails. With schemes of credit card fraud and a threatening criminal underworld, Plaza finds her lead character leaving morals behind to get what she needs. It may be a different role for Plaza, but the actress is a critical reason why Emily the Criminal works so well. In fact, the movie’s success led to the development of a TV show spinoff of Emily the Criminal. Though Plaza isn’t returning as Emily, she will still be involved as an executive producer.

Aubrey Plaza Isn’t Attached To Upcoming Dark Projects, But She Should Be

Plaza Is Attached To Several Titles In Development

Following a notable 2024, Aubrey Plaza will remain busy with a handful of upcoming projects. In addition to being in the star-studded cast for the live-action/animated comedy Animal Friends, Plaza is attached to the animated movie The Ark and the Aardvark and Ethan Coen’s comedy Honey Don’t!. She’s also the writer on Prime’s upcoming animated show titled Kevin, which she is also executive producing. While it’s no surprise to see Plaza booked up with projects, the confirmed titles don’t include any darker roles.

…it would be exciting to see Plaza get more roles that lean more into the vibes of Emily the Criminal and My Old Ass.

Sure, not all of her upcoming projects may not be pure comedies, especially the Ethan Coen project, but it would be exciting to see Plaza get more roles that lean more into the vibes of Emily the Criminal and My Old Ass. Plaza may return as Death in future MCU projects based on the reception surrounding her franchise debut. That said, seeing Plaza attached to original concepts and stories rooted in genres like thrillers, dramas, and even horror would be more intriguing.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes