Source: Showtimes
The Guilty is a moving inside look at a police officer that is working in a 911 call center while awaiting a hearing on what we don’t know why until the end. Jake Gyllenhaal plays police officer Joe Baylor who is an overstressed jerk whose is clearly angry that he must work in the call center. Joe gets a call that changes is whole day. He gets a distressful call from a woman named Emily Lighton voiced by Riley Keough who seemingly has been kidnapped by her husband Henry Fisher played by Peter Sarsgaard. Joe enlists his Sgt Bill Miller voiced by Ethan Hawke and his partner Rick voiced by Eli Goree.
Source: Netflix Youtube Channel
Amid everything, we find that Joe’s life is falling apart due to his hearing. Joe and his ex-wife Jess voiced by Gillian Zinser who share a little girl and all Joe wants is to tell her good night. We go on a journey with Joe with the ups and downs of the Emily and Henry saga. We see Joe as he painstakingly wants to save the children and wants a positive outcome for Emily and Henry. The Guilty sends you on an emotional journey with Joe, where at time I found myself mad at the CHP dispatcher but realize just like Joe, she is doing her job.
The Guilty is directed by the talented Antoine Fuqua (The Equalizer, Training Day) who brings that same intensity that he has brought to his other dramas and this one is no different. Jake Gyllenhaal whom at first, we don’t like because of his unnecessary, intense behavior and his disdain for even being there ends up opening his eyes to his own situation. The actors who were on the phone were also great. They pulled you in just as much as Joe does. You love them, you’re irritated by them and you want them to tell you more. This is an exciting crime thriller without any action and yet at the end you felt that you have been on an action journey.
The Guilty is now showing on Netflix. Will you be watching? Were you surprised at the ending? Let’s discuss.