Anyone who has seen Prisoners knows that Jake Gyllenhaal can play the troubled detective role. Complex characters (see Stronger, Nocturnal Animals). Or you commit so much to a role that it is visible on screen (Everest and Southpaw, Nightcrawler, etc.).
Gyllenhaal is filmed with the camera on him for nearly the entire 90 minutes of The Guilty. This makes it difficult to watch as he combines all his skills into one intense performance. He throws himself into the role of detective-turned-911-dispatcher Joe Baylor with so much anger, pain, and sadness that you're forced to go through every single emotion with him.
Although I haven’t seen all of Gyllenhaal’s films, I have seen many of them. This might be his best performance to date.
The Guilty, based on the 2018 Danish film of that name and adapted from True Detective creator Nic Piczzolato is a film that exudes stress right from the beginning. The film opens with an aerial view of wildfires raging through California. We then see the helicopters speeding past as panicked 911 calls fill the background.
These same scenes of unending fire can be seen on huge screens moments later in Baylor's dimly lit 911 dispatch center, where he takes calls. We quickly learn that he has been placed on hold pending the outcome of an unmentioned matter. Baylor is, as it is clear, no hero. Gyllenhaal is a portrait of a man who has reached the brink of his breaking point. He is forced to put his personal problems aside and take a call from a woman kidnapped.
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The plot is too complex to reveal without giving away its secrets. The Guilty is a movie that you should not know much about. It's important to remember that the majority of the action is set in one location, which makes it even more critical for the script, performances and direction to be perfect.
They are all, fortunately. Antoine Fuqua, Equalizer director (who had to stay off-set in a van due to COVID), keeps the camera focused on Gyllenhaal's sweaty face and lets the details of each pained expression take the film's weight. Pizzolato's script works as a perfect complement, giving Baylor's backstory a subtle hint without being too intrusive. The tension is kept high by a series of broken phone conversations that feel real.
Gyllenhaal's character Joe Baylor is a dispatcher who answers calls. Credit: netflix
Voice acting is also a worthy mention when talking about those phone calls. Riley Keough is a powerful performer as the woman calling. Paul Dano and Eli Goree also contribute via Gyllenhaal’s headset. This impressive cast was assembled remotely for the mid-pandemic 11-day shoot. Gyllenhaal claims they shot it in five 20-minute segments.
The filming process can be intense, but the pressure is transferred flawlessly to the final product. If you feel anxious, The Guilty should not be seen. Fuqua fans, don't expect another Equalizer. If you are looking for intense tension, twisty storytelling and acting performances that will make you feel every human emotion, then don't miss this show.
Netflix now has The Guilty available for streaming.
