The "deep" look into the film reveals a struggle between biological hardwiring and acquired experience:

The 2016 film Criminal , directed by Ariel Vromen, presents a science-fiction exploration of memory, identity, and the neurobiology of morality. While the film is not based on a true story, it draws on real-world concepts in neuroscience, particularly the role of the frontal lobe in personality and the theoretical field of memory implantation.

: The film posits that Jerico’s criminality is a physical byproduct of his brain damage, specifically the inability to process right from wrong.