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What is it about Aubrey Plaza that makes her confusing?
Is it that she seems shady and offensive?
Surely shes not the first female comedian with a bawdy sense of humor.
Yet shes not pretentious or elitist.
Shes angry, bored, or maybe inexplicably horny.
She always seems like shes hiding somethingher feelings, her true self, her darkest and deadliest secrets.
Shell say she wants to murder you, which is funny, and kind of sexy.
Still, you get the feeling she could follow through.
Sometimes hed be giving the finger.
April may hide behind layers of impenetrable sarcasm, but she also dares you to call her bluff.
Is Plaza playing a bit or does she actually mean it?
Is she truly dangerous or on the verge of cackling and confessing to the ruse?
No actress of the same generation feels as awesomely sinister as she does.
But inBlack BearandHappiest Season, her two most recent movies, we get two wildly different Plaza performances.
That got us thinking about her range of naughty to nice naughty being highly capable of ending your life.
Not that she gets a real opportunity to weigh in …
Verdict:According to the evidence, Riley is a beautiful human incapable of damage.
Verdict:This is Charlie Sheen propaganda that completely defangs Plaza.
Like the reunion-movie progenitorThe Big Chill, About Alexcenters on one friends attempted suicide.
Against key in, an understated and refreshingly earnest Plaza plays the closest thing to the groups den mother.
Its an affecting reminder that even our most phlegmatic friends have feelings, too.
Verdict:Shes more likely to cook you a meal and tuck you into bed.
Sadly, Plazas Kelly, the ex-goth, forensic-pathologist-aspiring love interest, is a bit of a nothing character.
Despite her gloomy demeanor, Kelly is charmed by the trios zany do-gooding.
I, for one, find the boys unbearably annoying, and frankly Im surprised Kelly doesnt too.
Verdict:In a movie full of punchable little dorks, Kelly chooses love instead.
Verdict:Shes just a funny person living her life.
And how could younotsmile when she tells Natasha Lyonnes flighty protagonist that shes distracted by her really cute ass.
Less of a wounded figure than Riley, shes also less willing to put up with other peoples bullshit.
Verdict:Yogis are generally peaceful beings.
Is it safe for you to drive like that?
our hero asks, gesturing at his drivers cast.
She chirpily points out that if anythings going to kill them, itll be her eyes.
Verdict:If only her bad eyes had crashed the car and ended the movie early.
Verdict:Unlikely to murder, but likely to make you sleep on the couch tonight.
Verdict:Too world-weary to pose much of a threat.
But as it stands, shes only acting in self-defense.
Verdict:Harmless unless youre a demon toy that wants to kill her.
Unluckily for him, Plazas the one he ends up with.
Justifiably thinking hes some kind of pervert freak, she unleashes her fury.
14.Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates(2016)
Maneater Tatiana (Plaza) and her No.
Shes notactuallya stone-cold secret agent, but play-acting goes a long way, especially when youre having fun.
Verdict:She may be playing pretend, but she might actually kill you.
Ill reserve the rest of my judgment and say that playing one of the boys comes easy to Plaza.
One of the boys, indeed.
Verdict:Its probably not the best idea to run away if she professes her love to you.
Verdict:Get in her way and you might find yourself staring down the barrel of a gun.
But will she shoot?
Her eyes are practically medusan.
Verdict:Watch out, Pilgrim, she very well may bite off your head.
Verdict:Have you ever had a bad trip and convinced yourself someones going to kill you?
Yeah, me neither.
And shes way kinkier than the other girls and the guys, for that matter.
Are you coming or are you dying?
When grandpa Dick dies, itll certainly be in the middle of an orgasm.
Verdict:The French dont call it little death for nothing.
That doesnt take away from the fact that Plaza was born to play a raunchy nun.
Verdict:If youre a dude theres a 50/50 chance youll be ritually sacrificed.
Is she flirting or being friendly?
Is she mocking you or is she on your side?
Where does the performance end and the real person begin?
The films refusal to resolve these ambiguities makes Plazas filmmaker and Single White Female all the more tantalizingly eerie.
Plaza has never been more sphinxlike.
Verdict:Allisons not afraid to spill a little blood for arts higher calling.
Does her deception really count if the person shes pretending to be is the person she so desperatelywantsto be?
Verdict:Shell do anything for the right number of likes.
Verdict:Dont be surprised if she pulls out a gun after having her way with you in bed.
Itsort ofisnt at first.
Verdict:She will definitely eat you.
