TIFF 2021: The Guilty
tiff 2021In 2018, Gustav Möller shocked many with his feature directorial debut The Guilty. A claustrophobic and relevant thriller with one of the best screenplays and performances of the year by Jakob Cedergren, it seemed like the film was destined to be considered a modern masterpiece. Naturally, the opportunity to remake the story in English to connect with audiences across the world who spoke the language and didn't want to read subtitles followed quickly. Just 3-years after the release of the original film, Netflix and director Antoine Fuqua have teamed up to make this a reality, with Jake Gyllenhaal filling in as the lead now named Joe Baylor. Screening as part of the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, The Guilty follows Joe, a cop at the LAPD who has been placed on temporary duty as a 911 receiver after a mishap on the field. Joe is dealing mainly with calls relating to a local wildfire but suddenly gets a call from a woman who has been kidnapped. Joe has to not only keep in touch with the woman but also be the middle man between her and the team trying to help and find her, leaving him desperate to bring her home safe.
To say there was much anticipation for 2021's The Guilty would be a complete lie. Not just is Antoine Fuqua anything but consistent when it comes to the quality of his filmography but these English remakes often end up doing the original story a massive disservice. While The Guilty never reaches the highs of the 2018 original for a variety of reasons, it easily has to be seen as one of the better additions to this group, working not just as a remake but also as an adaptation. Fuqua and screenwriter Nic Pizzolatto clearly understand and want to recapture the magic of the original but aren’t afraid to make small changes to adapt the story to the specifics of the situation portrayed in the remake compared to the original.
Whenever there is a remake of any sort, this is the biggest hurdle most films find. While some want to be a shot-for-shot remake of the original, the truth is that, at the very least, the social and political conditions of release have changed much less the actual location in the case of the English remakes. While The Guilty still has the backbone of the original Danish film, the film has been transformed into an incredibly Southern California story in the best of ways. Small changes like the inclusion of a major wildfire burning nearby causing mass amounts of chaos and smoke feels near genius. Not just does this feel distinct and help the film have its own identity but it adds fresh scenes of tension and complexity without ruining the purpose or focus of the story.
It also is safe to say that The Guilty gives Jake Gyllenhaal the best performance he has had in years. A brooding capturing of anger, stress, and desire for stability give Gyllenhaal plenty to chew on and play with through crafted and often subtle ways. Much of the story relies on Gyllenhaal exclusively, as he is the anchor for the audience as both they and his character listen through phone calls at the various developments of the story – leaving him to sell and convey the emotions and weight of the situation. Harkening back to his masterclass work in Nightcrawler, Gyllenhaal feels in control of every piece of his performance using small things like his glances and volume to give meaning and weight to whatever his character is going through. He also has the ability to blow up and succeeds in finding the balance between the two levels of emotional expression.
The one slight issue that can be found in the adaptation is how unbelievable it seems at times. As various things are revealed, it really does take a solid amount of suspending disbelief to truly appreciate and get sucked into the story, but the emotions are so solid that this doesn't feel like that big of an ask. The ending is also complex to say the least. Without getting into spoilers, there is a very layered conversation the film wants to have that has only been made more difficult in the past year and a half of various political acts and events. With the focus so much on the story of this kidnapped woman, it doesn't quite feel like the film has enough to fully deserve the larger thesis it introduces, which is a product both of a changing world and a side effect of the adaptation between cultures.
While these smaller issues might make it clear that the remake is just below the original film, the distance between them is somewhat surprisingly small. The Guilty is not just one of the better English remakes of a foreign language film but also one of the best Netflix films of the year. The film, overall, is a gripping thriller that will have audiences on the edge of their seat, and Gyllenhaal proves he still has what it takes to be one of the most controlled yet captivating actors working today. It is hard to view the project overall as anything but a massive success, especially considering just how wrong it could have gone.
