The Guilty - 💥💥

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Writer: Nic Pizzolatto

Release Date: 24th September 2021

Hot Rating: 💥💥

The idea is simple; 911 operator Joe Baylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) receives a call from a concerned woman and tries to figure out what's going on. A remake of Gustav Möller's original Danish thriller, The Guilty has a distinct Hollywood vibe, thanks in part to Gyllenhaal's macho leading performance and also Nic Pizzolatto's nervy ‘good cop/bad cop#’ screenplay. Antoine Fuqua, a long-time Gyllenhaal collaborator, is at the helm of the drama, bringing his trademark heavy-handed direction to the project. Under his influence, the picture transforms from an introspective thriller to a full-fledged action film, which is impressive given that we rarely see any of the action. Unfortunately, this is a criticism above all else, as the film flakes away from psychological introspection to overt ridiculousness and melodrama; never quite sure how to position viewers’ perspective, nor their sympathies, Fuqua lets the action unfurl into chaos and a decidedly abrupt conclusion. 

Image: YouTube