Rating: ««
out of ««««
Running Time:
90 minutes
This film will be available to stream on Netflix Oct. 1.
In 2018, a claustrophobic little Danish thriller called “The Guilty” made a big splash with movie reviewers, earning numerous award nominations (including one from the critic circle this reviewer belongs to) and even taking home a few prizes. It hasn’t taken long for the English-language remake rights to be sold, resulting in a new take on the story. This version is well-performed and is generally faithful to the source material. But while those who aren’t familiar with the original may find themselves engaged in the proceedings, anyone who has seen the previous film will find some aspects worthy of nitpicking.
Joe Bayler (Jake Gyllenhaal) is an exhausted Los Angeles cop in over his head. He is under investigation for an on-the-job shooting and his marriage is crumbling. While awaiting his disciplinary hearing, Joe is assigned shifts at a 911 call center. It’s a remarkably busy night, with a large portion of the county dealing with rampaging wildfires.
Things get even more tense when Baylor receives a call from a woman named Emily Lighton (voiced by Riley Keough), who is on the road traveling with another figure. Through a series of carefully worded questions and comments, the woman implies that she has been forcibly taken. Baylor tries his best to coach Emily through the situation, while making private calls on the side to find out more about the woman and implore other departments to help find the vehicle.
The original movie was very contained, never leaving the call center, and focusing its attention entirely on the policeman. This remake takes the same approach, keeping Baylor within the call center and using nothing but audio to convey increasing friction and drama. The technique works better than one might expect, with the conversations and terminology inspiring viewers to imagine what is occurring. The movie also depends on its main character and Gyllenhaal is engaging throughout, even if the officer he’s playing isn’t necessarily likable.
The zippy pace and actor hold our curiosity to see how he deals with the stress. And a positive new added element comes from the raging forest fires, adding a bit of uncertainty as officers on the radio describe being unable to see clearly.
But as mentioned previously, it’s incredibly difficult not to make comparisons to the original feature, especially given that it only arrived a few years ago. While this update does the basics well enough, there are a couple of alterations that seem strange and unnecessary. In the original, the officer was stuffy and closed off emotionally, creating a deeper air of mystery about his dark past. It appears as though Baylor acts out angrily in a more obvious fashion and the lack of subtlety dissipates some of the pressure.
This adaptation also takes one particularly dark story element and diminishes it with a quick, added comment late in the film. Additionally, the screenplay seems determined to tie-up every plot thread and leave no questions unanswered. While using more exposition to clarify the lead’s fate certainly emphasizes the themes and intended message, it does mute some of the story’s grayer and vaguer aspects, leaving less to discuss or ruminate on after the credits roll.
Taking the movie on its own terms, “The Guilty” is a simple, decent, fast-paced thriller that does maintain interest and benefit greatly from a compelling star. And one can certainly understand how a studio, needing product that can be shot inexpensively in one locale, would rush ahead and remake a relatively new film. It just may leave those who have seen the well-regarded original feeling that this reworking isn’t quite as effective or, well, an entirely necessary experience.
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By Glenn Kay
For the Sun
