Nowadays, most thrillers you see on the big screen have eye-boggling budgets, multiple action set-pieces and often big dollops of CGI. However, tension isn’t something that can be merely bought. It relies on a cleverly-written script, tight direction and actors who have the ability to keep you in the moment. Films like 12 Angry Men, Locke, Tape, Buried and 127 Hours show what can be done using just a single location. The Guilty, the new film from Gustav Möller, is another fine example of what can be done with limited resources and an active imagination.
A day before his trial for the shooting of a young man whilst on duty, Asger (Jakob Cedergren) is working in the Emergency Despatch Room. As he serves out his temporary demotion he’s not exactly committed to this new desk job. However, when he answers a call from a kidnapped woman he finds his curiosity peeked. Asger becomes determined to do everything he can to save her, even if it means crossing the line.
The Guilty is a taut crime thriller which features a career-defining performance from Jakob Cedergren as a damaged detective trying to do the right thing. Full credit needs to go to Möller for making an outstanding edge-of-the-seat directorial debut and a script, written in conjunction with Emil Nygaard Albertsen, which never goes where you’d expect it to. The Guilty is a riveting drama which ramps up the suspense whilst unleashing a number of twists and turns.
The Guilty is in cinemas across the UK from 26th October.
