Under the lens takes a deep look at films by focusing in on one or two particular areas of the picture that helped to define it for better or for worse.
The Guilty is a 2021 American crime thriller film directed and produced by Antoine Fuqua, which is a remake of the danish motion picture of the same name. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Christina Vidal, with the voices of Ethan Hawke, Riley Keough, Eli Goree, Paul Dano, Peter Sarsgaard, and Bill Burr. The story follows a demoted police officer assigned to a call dispatch desk who is conflicted when he receives an emergency phone call from a kidnapped woman. Only to discover there is more going on than meets the eye.
Under The Lens: Guilt and Supporting Cast
Twist: The picture is primarily about guilt, and how that guilt can eat us up inside when it is not confessed. The narrative is a very standard kidnapping thriller for the first half; then, a twist happens that is very well done. We are led to believe that the villain of the picture is the husband and father Henry, who snapped and kidnapped his wife and almost murdered his young son. However, we then learn in a flip that it was Emily, the woman on the phone this whole time, who had stabbed her son in a fit of mental illness.
The picture then begins to explore the guilt of Emily, and also Joe, who confesses that he shot a boy while on duty. He is consumed by it, as we see him suffer anxiety attacks and mood swings. However, as the story unfolds, we see that it is this horrifying situation that he found himself in that was the catalyst for his healing as well as Emily’s.
In the end, the theme of the picture is “Broken people save broken people” Emily was only saved by the confession of Joe, and Joe was only saved by the confession of Emily. Both Emily and Joe would have to face the results of their crimes but were themselves on the road to personal healing.
Supporting Cast: The Guilty has a stellar supporting cast, with the show being stolen by the cast of voice actors. While most voice acting in a live-action picture is limited, The Guilty has its co-stars only ever appear in audio form. This means that all the emotion we normally pick up on visually must be done with audio instead. Not an easy task for an actor; however, the cast is outstanding with Peter Sarsgaard especially standing out as the distraught father Henry, you feel him as a menacing villain than as a broken father and self-perceived failed husband.
Highlights
Jake Gyllenhaal is sublime in a role that required him to be alone for most of the runtime.
The setting of the California wildfires was well done and gave a good reason for why the police response was slow.
The script did a good job of showcasing a world, not of heroes and villains but broken people dealing with more broken people.
Quotable Quote
Sgt. Denise Wade: Broken people save broken people
Somthing To Think About
Have you ever done something that ate away at you? How did you handle the guilt?
Conclusion
The Guilty is a good thriller that delivers on thrills and twists, but does summer from a weak script, that at times devolves into a person saying the same thing over and over again. However, it is anchored by stellar performances by its cast that elevates this picture above a standard kidnap thriller. The Guilty is worth watching if you enjoy claustrophobic thrillers that offer a gritty portrayal of life; there are no happy endings in the traditional sense, and this is good as the picture is not about happiness but the healing of the soul.
