The Guilty | Film Review

 

This film came out on Netflix recently, and I didn't know much about it. But what attracted me to it was that it sounded a bit like the film 'The Call', starring Halle Berry, which I really liked. Plus I'm a huge fan of Jake Gyllenhaal, so that was another reason to watch it.

A former police detective, recently demoted to 911 operator, receives a harrowing phone call and attempts to save the woman at the end of the line.

I really liked this film.

For a start, the beginning of the film is a great introduction to this character. We don't find out a lot about him (which is in-keeping with the rest of the film), but it's enough for us to understand what type of person he is. It's also a great intro into the life of an emergency services operator.

The film was gripping from start to finish - there were moments when I didn't even want to look away from the screen.

Even though this entire film is Jake Gyllenhaal surrounded by various voices, there is an amazing amount of tension created, and you don't feel like you're missing additional characters at all.

The impact of being tied so closely to Joe (Gyllenhaal) is that the audience feel that they are in Joe's exact position. We feel what he feels, and we want to save this woman as much as he does.

The idea of the story is so simple, but it's really compelling. And the twists that happen only elevate the already interesting plot.

However, I felt like the build-up of tension was created with no real pay-off. By the time the film ended, it felt like key things were missing. I really feel like the film would have benefitted from giving some more background to Joe (though I do understand why this wasn't done).

The best thing about this film is Jake Gyllenhaal's performance. He carried the entirety of the film by being the sole character, yet still managed to make the audience feel like there was more happening than a man taking calls in an office.

Overall, I really liked this film. It's tense, entertaining, compelling, and even if it doesn't give you everything you want, I still definitely recommend it.

7/10