Rotten Tomatoes critics say Netflix’s remake of “The Guilty” is still overshadowed by the original but credits the movie for being a well-acted thriller. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Ethan Hawke, Christina Vidal Mitchell, and Riley Keough, as the main cast of the Americanized remake. Not surprisingly, Jake Gyllenhaal delivered exceptionally well, proving once again that he’s one of the most consistent actors in the film industry.
While a lot of cinephiles agree the critics, whilst recommending that those who have not seen the original should watch the 2018 movie instead. Well, for all it’s worth, it’s a plus point because Antoine Fuqua’s version must be interesting enough for people to want to watch the German original “The Guilty” afterwards.
“The Guilty” Plot Synopsis</>
The film’s storyline and plot is similar to the original, including the prologue that gives a primer on why the lead protagonist, Joe Baylor (Gyllenhaal), is flawed. The background for the intro shows Joe Baylor in 911 dispatch center setting against films clips of a fire raging in Los Angeles. This is an important factor, as Baylor is an asthmatic who isn’t healthy enough to deal with flames and smoke, That and his personal problems in combatting an undefined controversy, led to his demotion from being an LAPD officer to becoming a 911 dispatcher.
Yet, the pressures and frustrations of dealing with a family separation all contributed in building up the tension inside that Baylor needed to release.
This Netflix thriller’s high-speed pace begins the moment Baylor picks up a call from a woman named Emily (Riley Keough) who can’t reveal what trouble she’s in. Asking Emily a series of questions answerable by yes or no, Baylor surmised she’s in a terrible situation and becomes too invested in her circumstances. Baylor promises to save both Emily and her 6-year old daughter based solely on his interpretations. This of course leads him to committing faulty police work. .
Director Antoine Fuqua and screenwriter Nic Pizzolatto can be credited for delicately linking Baylor’s behavior into police work errors without completely making it sufficient grounds for defunding the police (DTP). Baylor was summoned to the court the next day, only to make damaging statements that mirror how cops act on emotion over reason, which in turn results to them acting frantically and erroneously. Essentially, Antoine Fuqua’s “The Guilty” narrative circles mainly on the maxim of not fixing thing if they’re not broken.