Parks and Rec veteran Aubrey Plaza has been earning raves for her portrayal of the title character in the new thriller she produced, Emily The Criminal. 

Plaza plays a former art student, crushed by her loans and working a dead-end job in Los Angeles to try to make ends meet in spite of a criminal record.

But when Theo Rossi‘s Youcef comes into Emily’s life with a sketchy way out, she quickly learns how far she’s willing to go. 

Despite this, it’s easy to find yourself rooting for the character. “I think it’s rare to have a female character that’s so unapologetic,” Plaza explains to ABC Audio.

“And the script and the movie [don’t] try to make her likable. She’s just, I think … relatable. I think that what she’s going through, I think really kind of touches on something that a lot … of young people in today’s … society … feel they’re going through, as well.”

“She’s not from Los Angeles and she’s just doing the best she can, and I think that there’s just something about that that is likable,” Aubrey says.

“The script really tracks her decisions; even though they’re questionable, you kind of … see the little tiny baby steps that she takes. And I think you’re just rooting for her because she’s just doing the best she can with what she’s got. And I think everybody can relate to that.”