The Guilty movie review: Jake Gyllenhaal stuns in this tense, claustrophobic thriller

the guilty is the American remake of the Danish film Den Skyldige, which was Denmark’s official entry into the Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars 2019. Directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, The Guilty is one of those tense single-handed thrillers place.

The actor stars as a harassed and irascible Los Angeles cop who is grappling with an unspecified violent incident that happened months ago. This resulted in him being relegated to office duties. He also misses his granddaughter after a break-up with his wife, possibly a consequence of the incident.

Having to answer a multitude of calls, he focuses on the case of a caller, a woman who claims to have been kidnapped by an unknown assailant at her home and taken somewhere. He makes it his goal to save the woman, trying not only to help a human being, but also to find redemption in the process.

Like many other thrillers in this genre, The Guilty is stingy with information, handing it out in pieces. He uses his lack of information to trick the viewer into thinking in a particular direction, when the reality is something completely different.

The script is not without its problems, however. The plot and the themes do not always merge and do not always fall into place. Its conclusion is abrupt, there are plot holes and the big twist towards the end, at least for those who pay attention, would be pretty predictable.

But Gyllenhaal’s fiercely engaged performance makes the film more than worth it. The film itself was the brainchild of Gyllenhaal, who commissioned a remake shortly after seeing the Danish original. And indeed, he carries the film, making sure viewers are glued to the screen even when the plot gets lax.

And The Guilty, which would otherwise be a well-done but flawed thriller, becomes a gripping experience because of the central performance. The Guilty is streaming on Netflix.