The Guilty

Directed by Gustav Möller, The Guilty follows police officer/emergency services agent Asger Holm (Jakob Cedergren) as he becomes increasingly involved in a case involving a kidnapped woman and her dangerous husband. The degree to which Möller is able to generate a suspenseful and mostly engaging atmosphere is nothing short of astounding, as The Guilty transpires entirely within the confines of a small call center and revolves, for the most part, completely around Asger’s myriad of phone conversations – with the compulsively watchable atmosphere heightened by Cedergren’s subtle, spellbinding performance and a smattering of captivating sequences. (It’s clear, in terms of the latter, that Asger’s tense initial call from the aforementioned kidnapped woman remains a high-water-mark within the proceedings.) And although the 84 minute running time is occasionally strained to its breaking point – the movie’s midsection is a little hit and miss, admittedly – The Guilty, buoyed by an ongoing peppering of unexpected twists, builds towards a fairly enthralling climax that cements its place as an above-average piece of work.

*** out of ****