Luke McWilliams gives his review of the 2021 crime thriller film, The Guilty, starring Jake Gyllenhaal.
Troubled LAPD officer Joe Baylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) is working in a 911 call centre during the LA bushfires on the eve of his court appearance for unknown charges. After a series of irritating calls, the super tense Joe gets a call from a nervous and quietly spoken Emily Lighton (Riley Keough) who slyly alludes to the fact that she is being abducted!
Director Antoine Fuqua’s breakthrough movie Training Day saw a corrupt policeman attempt to mould a rookie’s soul into an image of his tarnished own. The Guilty reverses this journey, having a questionable police officer struggle to save a presumed innocent amidst a hellish inferno.
On a night lit by the infernal landscape of LA on fire, there are no heroes. Joe laughs at the misfortune that some callers have inflicted upon themselves, dismissing others completely. The embodiment of frustration and anger, Joe is a street cop now chained to a desk, frustrated with what he deems to be limitations and barriers that obstruct his ability to help those on the LA streets.
Jake Gyllenhaal is in every frame and is essentially the film. Playing out in real-time with limited actors and sets, The Guilty could work as a play. Although an intense performance, it is doubtful any officer in Joe’s frame of mind frame would be deemed effective.
Verdict: A powerful and mesmerising performance by Jake Gyllenhaal that encourages a viewing of the grimmer and more grounded Danish original. 3.5 stars.
The Guilty is streaming on Netflix.
- Luke McWilliams | themovieclub.net
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