FilmSnobReviews

Title: The Guilty
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Riley Keough, Ethan Hawke
Runtime: 1 hr 30 mins

What It Is: A demoted police officer assigned to a call dispatch desk is conflicted when he receives an emergency phone call from a kidnapped woman – with the call leading him to shocking revelations and his own personal depths.

What We Think: The Guilty is a remake of the 2018 Danish film Den skyldige, which I have not seen at the time of this review (the trailer has more than a few similarities with this one). However, from this retake on the original film, I can safely say that there is no harm in enjoying one over the other. Having a film take place in one location is a very difficult thing to do, and usually, the performances and script have to be a shining factor in the film’s overall presentation to keep audience members engaged. Luckily, both are thoroughly entertaining!

The Guilty is a great Friday night thriller, definitely meant to be enjoyed with a couple of friends. Jake Gyllenhaal surprisingly brings a powerhouse of a performance; and to be completely fair, he’s always an absolute win. The rest of the cast is fantastic too – I had no idea that Ethan Hawke or Paul Dano were starring in the film until I saw their name in the credits. And Riley Keough… she knocks it out of the park! The performances here are the film’s best quality. The story itself is engaging enough, and there’s a massive twist that shows up near the end of the second act that will make audiences’ jaws drop. It’s the type of film with the same energy as a 90’s crime thriller; a super simple premise, great actors and not that long in runtime. Overall, I’d say it’s a great time if you’re looking for a healthy balance of intensity and drama, while also not having to digest too much either.

Our Grade: B, If you’re looking to check out the original film first, I’d say it’s ultimately down to performance preference, as the script remains mostly unchanged between the two (definitely not being unjust to the original). If you’re a Gyllenhaal fan, go for this year’s version – his performance here will enter the “underrated” category for sure, joining the ranks of Nocturnal Animals and Demolition. An intense weekend thriller!