Per the Netflix synopsis, “The film takes place over the course of a single morning in a 911 dispatch call center. Call operator Joe Baylor (Gyllenhaal) tries to save a caller in grave danger — but he soon discovers that nothing is as it seems, and facing the truth is the only way out.” Gyllenhaal has been a big fan of Möller’s film since it hit the festival circuit back in 2018, and went on to become Denmark’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature. Throughout the original movie’s run, Gyllenhaal even served as a moderator during Q&As, and his interest in the movie ultimately led him to scoop up the remake rights. The combination of Gyllenhaal — as well as a stacked cast, including Ethan Hawke, Riley Keough, Paul Dano, Peter Sarsgaard, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Bill Burr — “True Detective” writer Pizzolatto and “Training Day” director Fuqua should make this appointment viewing for action fans. Fuqua previously directed Gyllenhaal in the boxing drama “Southpaw.”
The movie makes its first stop at the Toronto International Film Festival this year September before heading to Netflix and theaters in a potential Oscar play. On Saturday via Jake Gyllenhaal’s Instagram, audiences were encouraged to discover the mystery of “The Guilty” by calling a phone number and hearing the first heart-stopping phone call between 911 operator Joey Baylor and a cryptic woman named Emily. The phone number could also be seen in the Southern California skies around Los Angeles and Orange County. Per IndieWire’s fall preview, “Möller’s original centered on a disgraced police officer temporarily reassigned to work the Danish equivalent of 911, a gig he’s not too thrilled about and one that doesn’t seem to offer much in the way of hard-hitting action. That is, of course, until a call comes in from a woman who claims to have been abducted by someone in a white van. What follows is thrilling and chilling on its own terms, but as “The Guilty” keeps turning, twists and shocks abound, only adding to the film’s wild power.”
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