I can’t help but imagine co-writer and director, Gustav Möller, seeing the 2013 film, The Call, and thinking, “what if this…was good?” Obviously, it didn’t happen that way, and it looks like Hollywood is taking another crack at the concept since they recently announced a Jake Gyllenhaal led remake of Denmark’s Oscar submission, The Guilty. The basic conceit here is that a police officer, Asger Holm (Jakob Cedergren), has been temporarily placed as an emergency dispatcher. He’s on duty one day, and things are going the way they usually are – that is – until he receives a call from a kidnapped woman, and finds himself using every possible measure to get her out of danger.
Unlike The Cell, The Guilty doesn’t venture away from the dispatch center. We are with Asger every step of the way, and we feel everything he feels. We only hear the voices of the people he talks to, and it makes you use your imagination, which makes certain sequences far more disturbing than if we actually saw what was being heard or described. The results make for a tense experience that grips you immediately, and never lets go until the very end.
I liked the fact that Asger as a character is not a bland audience surrogate. He is a well fleshed out character, which a lot of baggage of his own. Through context clues, we find out that he did something that resulted in being punished to this position, and he appears to try and cover his tracks. We don’t find out what exactly he did until the final act. I won’t give away what it is here, but I will say that it is quite satisfying in how it resolves itself and the implications of that for the character and his future. It’s a compelling arc for the character, and it brings an extra layer to all the tension that is already taking hold. Cedergren handles himself very well, having to be the focus of the camera for basically every single second of the film, and he is a compelling screen presence. He can take a character that most would find unlikable, and tap into something that makes you want to be there, and experience the ride with him.
There is some excellent use of sound here. It’s not the most realistic, since the noise coming from the phones are usually in crystal clear stereo, but it works in getting you immersed in the situation. The filmmaking here is very carefully crafted to keep you on edge the entire 85 runtime. Möller has a great sense of control, but it never feels like you’re seeing the strings being pulled. It all seems effortless.
If you’ve seen any number of similar thrillers, you will probably see certain reveals coming. It’s not the most original film ever, buy it never seems to be much of a concern on the filmmaker’s part. The focus is placed firmly on creating a tense atmosphere that builds and builds as we find ourselves in the same level of desperation as our main character. It’s about making the punches count, not so much the specific punch they story wants to lay on you.
The Guilty is a methodically crafted and exhilarating thriller. It’s comes to life when the filmmaking emphasizes the danger of what you can’t see versus what you can, and it all rests on a compelling and complex performance from Jakob Cedergren. It knows how to hit every beat for maximum effect, while also diving into complicated, and morally ambiguous ground. I don’t see this being a huge awards contender, especially compared to the more prestige-oriented films, but it’s a nifty little thriller that is worth your attention.