The Guilty

I only found out this brilliant film existed because of the Netflix remake and when I did I made the wise choice to watch this one first. I haven't seen the remake yet but I know from bitter experience it won't be as good. I can only imagine how annoyed I would have been to see the newer version, have the ending revealed to me and only THEN go watch the Danish original, already knowing how it would all resolve. This is a riveting, taut, intelligent, atmospheric thriller with believable characters, a tight script, and strong emotional impact. The direction, lighting, camerawork, music (minimal) and so forth are all on point from start to finish. Watch this 85-minute emotional rollercoaster now!

Had to turn off the movie after 30 minutes. Having worked in Copenhagen Police for 7 years patrolling and with almost daily visits to dispatch I got so annoyed that apparently no research was done on how emergency service and dispatch works. If a case like that happens there would always be several people involved from the get go. The emergency caller can always stay on the phone and he's writing updates on a computer that dispatch can see (they are also in the same room). There's always a good and helpful vibe between colleagues as it's in everyone's best interest to solve the task given. The way the colleagues communicate in the movie is simply so far from reality. I'm obviously fully aware that this is fiction and drama. But when choosing a narrative that tries to look authentic - you should at least make a better effort to make it authentic. This is so far off - unfortunately!

My Rating : 6/10 Crisp and creative, reminded me greatly of 12 Angry Men except here we have 1 guilty man. 'The Guilty' is tense, gripping and truly an impressive feat for a movie that takes place at a 911 emergency call centre and has mainly the one actor talking on the phone the entire time. It is not so much about what is shown on screen but what imagery the viewer conjures up in their minds that makes it a really enthralling watch. Aren't we all guilty of something or the other we've done in our past?

You've got my attention all the way through. We chose to watch this original version over the American one and really glad we did!! We don't know the principal actor so it was very easy to believe the character of the policeman (and not watch another hollywood star). It's incredible how with a really great script, one very believable actor, no fancy action that you can make a very impactful film. Bravo!