Den Skyldige, a 2021 remake of which The Guilty is a major portion, is a Danish criminal thriller. The story revolves around a demotional officer who works late shifts at the 911 call centre while awaiting a court decision. The police makes every effort to save the woman after receiving a call from her claiming that she is being kidnapped. With more than 95% of the screen time, Jake Gyllenhaal performs brilliantly and handles the bulk of the work. The voices for the other characters in the movie have been performed by a tonne of incredible actors, with Ethan Hawke being my favourite. The Guilty’s story and resolution are described here.
Despite the film’s relative simplicity, I surprised received a lot of requests to write an explanation essay. Just dialogues are used to tell the plot, which may cause some misunderstanding. I’ve compiled all the frequently asked questions about the movie in this page and provided a FAQ-style response to each one.
Oh, and if this post didn’t cover all of your questions, leave a comment here or send me a message on Facebook chat, and I’ll get back to you. Using the site’s search bar at the top, you can locate more film analysis.
The Guilty: Common Questions Addressed
Concerns regarding Joe in The Guilty
Joseph killed the child, but why? Why was Joseph in trouble? How did Joe act?
Joe is a cop with rage issues who makes snap judgements about people’s personalities. The movie makes it abundantly evident that Joe abuses his authority, which results in police violence. Due to Joe’s role as judge, jury, and executioner, a 19-year-old boy was fatally shot eight months ago. Because he could and wanted to punish the boy for allegedly inflicting harm on someone, Joe used his own discretion to decide to end that child’s life. Joe isn’t even certain that the boy actually committed a crime.
Joe was demoted, why? Joe’s visit to court has a purpose. Why is Joe having issues?
Joe has been through a succession of trials since he killed the youngster, and his last court appearance is scheduled for the following day. Joseph is currently employed as a late-shift 911 operator as a result. Rick, Joe’s companion and a witness to the crime, has given false testimony. Rick’s statement is unknown, but if I had to guess, Rick and Joe would have said that Joe fired at the boy in self-defense. Joe intends to use lies to get out of jail with Rick’s assistance.
How did Joseph get sick? Why is Joe acting strangely?
It appears that Joe has asthma, which is worse by stress and his problems with anger management. The inhaler and the last throwing up are explained by this.
Concerns regarding Henry from The Guilty
Henry, who is he? How did Henry fare? Henry was it? Emily, did you kill Henry?
Emily’s ex-husband is Henry. Abby, Emily’s daughter, appears to have contacted Henry after witnessing Emily slash Oliver with a knife. Assuming Oliver is dead, Henry drags Emily against her will from the house and into his van before setting out for Patton State Hospital. Since Henry had previously served time in prison, Joe assumes that Henry has killed Oliver, abducted Emily, and will kill both of them once Emily dials 911 from the truck. Without any prior knowledge, Joe even tells Emily that Henry “deserves it” and urges her to run a brick over him. Emily accomplishes this before taking off, and despite being seriously injured, Henry is still alive. Henry’s only goal was to get Emily medical attention.
The Guilty| Emily and Oliver| Unanswered Questions
And who is Emily? In what way did Emily treat Oliver? Why was Oliver killed by Emily? What does “snakes” mean?
Because she couldn’t afford her medications, Emily, a patient with mental health problems, eventually stopped taking them. Her condition deteriorated as a result of time. On that particular night, Oliver was crying as normal, and Emily’s imagination led her to think that Oliver was crying because of snakes in his stomach. She then slashes the baby’s tummy with a knife. The infant loses consciousness as a result, and Emily believes she has fixed him. I think she’s comparing the intestines to snakes… ugh.
Where is Oliver now? Did Oliver (the infant) pass away?
No and yes. In the Hollywood version of the movie, Oliver does not pass away. Oliver is found unresponsive when the two officers arrive at Emily’s house. Joe assumes Oliver is dead based on what he hears. Oliver is still alive in the ICU, a colleague officer tells Joe at the conclusion of The Guilty. Oliver, however, perishes in the Danish version when Emily slashes him and the police discover a dead infant.
Eva passed away? Did Emily commit suicide?
Emily does not perish, no. When Emily realises what she has done, she also recognises that Oliver’s blood is on her clothing. She chooses to phone Joe before going outside to end her life. She is persuaded not to leap off the overpass by Joe. Joe admits to committing a murder of his own and tells Emily that Henry and Abby still care about her. Joe receives confirmation from the officers that Emily exited the overpass and is currently in their possession.
Who is Katherine Harbor, as explained in The Guilty Ending?
Journalist Katherine Harbor is interested in hearing Joe’s version of the tale for her piece. She managed to obtain Joe’s cell phone number by using her connections. Joe learns from the events of the day that his rage issues and hasty judgement are endangering others. Joe took it upon himself to kill a 19-year-old without fully investigating the situation or adhering by the law, despite the fact that he views himself to be a protector.
Assumptions and inappropriate rage nearly result in Emily’s demise. Joe resolves to come clean and reveal the truth because his conscience can no longer tolerate his guilt. In the final court hearing, he requests his partner Rick to recount the events exactly as they occurred. After that, Joe phones Katherine to inform her of the murder he committed. The Guilty’s conclusion informs us that Joe has been detained for his crime. The Danish version concludes simply with a group of horrified coworkers hearing the main character confess his crime to the woman on the bridge.
What did you think of The Guilty’s storyline and climax? Which did you prefer, the Hollywood remake or the Danish original? Post your ideas in the comments section below.
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