The Guilty (2021) Review

This film has had big advertisement on Netflix and I have now watched The Guilty and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a police officer on Dispatch faced with a dilemma when a woman calls him claiming she has been abducted. 

Main Character

Jake Gyllenhaal is one of my favourite actors operating and he is brilliant in this film, the different ranges of emotion is displayed perfectly and I felt the stress that his character was meant to this entire night. He gives everything and in his hands he creates a film that you can sink your teeth into and remain invested in. 

Supporting Characters

There are plenty of supporting characters here but they are mostly voices on the phone so I won't spoil who these people are as there are some pretty big names here. Everyone plays there role effectively and it makes every call feel believable and not like some pantomime. 

Story 

The story is really effective, it builds the tension expertly and you really sympathise with the situation that Gyllenhaal is put into. Though it ramps it up really well and it is pretty much all between this guy and these people that are on the phone. But I do have some issues, mainly that the actual storytelling becomes a bit convoluted and there are some elements of the plot that are underdeveloped and rushed. 

Script

The script is really good, it is a really serious film and it does those scenes really well but there are small sprinklings of humour that actually made me laugh and I think it is a really well written film. 

Style 

The film is shot really well, and by using camerawork and sound it makes the situation even worse then it is. It is only 90 mins and that is good but it does slow down a bit at times and maybe could have been even better if it was even a little bit shorter or cut one or two elements out of its story. 

Overall

Overall, The Guilty is a Great film. I have seen some real negative reviews but I am not sure what film they watched as it is really well acted and pretty much kept me invested throughout. 

Rating - 8/10