A thrilling remake of the 2018 eponymous Danish thriller

When we think about thriller films, we think about jump scares, dark alleys or perhaps a serial killer. But what makes a  thriller movie great is how the story manages to create a thrilling atmosphere without adding clichéd thriller elements to the plot. 

'The Guilty', directed and produced by Antoine Fuqua, is a single-setting thriller movie about Joe Baylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) - a police officer. 

Joe has been demoted to being a 911 operator because of a troubled past dangling over his head and has a court appearance the very next day. 

Even before the plot is revealed, we know that there is a fire outbreak and the 911 operators are swamped with help calls. Things get interesting when Joe receives a call from a distressed woman, Emily Lighton (Riley Keough). 

SPOILER ALERT! 

Now the point that sticks with Joe and makes him obsess about the call is how Emily addresses Joe as her little girl, "Abby." 

Concerned, and also because it's Joe's job to investigate the reason behind the call, Joe realises by questioning Emily further that she is kidnapped and is trying to hide the 911 call from her kidnapper.

Then comes the stream of calls and the unraveling tensed twists with one lead directing to another. Joe is determined to get to the bottom of the situation and save the woman, even though he is advised to stick to his job limitations. 

But little does he know, there is a bigger thrill waiting for him, which leads to the main twist in the plot. 

There is always a 50/50 chance of a remake to stand side by side to its original. 'The Guilty' is a remake of a Danish original, a debut film of Gustav Möller with the same name and story. 

The suspense of this film is mostly fuelled by it's story, making it intense and in need of undivided attention. But do not get me wrong, the film's plot successfully retains your concentration and keeps you on the edge till you find out what happens to the characters. 

You will not get to see other characters in the film but you hear them over the calls, which makes the film revolve around Joe's character and approach. 

Jake's role as a troubled ex-cop who hates his new role but also wants to make it through the day somehow was very convincing. 

The original film has its fan base and thus this version may not receive similar remarks. Even if it does not entirely reach the amazing thrill of the original, it has its separate exhilarating setting. 

On the bright side, it is a film worth a watch during an evening hangout with friends.