You know how it goes by now – an excellent international film makes its way into the world, and the “one-inch barrier” of subtitles (as Bong Joon Ho so brilliantly put it) means its not long before an English-language remake is on the cards. And while that’s precisely the case with The Guilty – originally a 2018 Danish thriller and now a 2021 Netflix movie too – there’s enough top-tier talent involved here to make this one worth keeping an eye on (especially if you haven’t caught the original). The film revolves around a 911 phone operator who receives an emergency call from a woman who’s been kidnapped – and the twists and turns of the tale play out predominantly from the confines of the emergency services office through the phone line.
This new one is anchored by Jake Gyllenhaal, who not only plays the guy on the end of the phone, Joe, but also produces under his Nine Stories Productions banner having acquired the rights to the film himself. The screenplay has been adapted by True Detective’s Nic Pizzolatto, and Training Day director Antoine Fuqua is on directing duties. As we said, it’s a lot of talent, and a great, twist-filled story – check out the full trailer here:
As those who’ve seen the Danish original will know, the above trailer seems to follow the same premise – here’s hoping it doesn’t lose any of its power in translation. Beyond Gyllenhaal, the cast list includes the likes of Ethan Hawke, Riley Keough, Paul Dano, and Peter Sarsgard – although expect some of those to be voice roles only.
The Guilty will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this Saturday, 11 September, and hits Netflix on 1 October.