The Guilty on Netflix appears to have a simple premise: Jake Gyllenhaal plays a 911 operator who receives a call from a lady who has been abducted. From Gyllenhaal’s point of view, the whole plot of The Guilty takes place over the phone, which implies that The Guilty is roughly 90 minutes of Jake Gyllenhaal’s face.
“Spoilers Ahead”
Despite the straightforward setup, The Guilty storyline contains a few unexpected twists and turns. The thriller, directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by Nic Pizzolatto, is an English-language version of the critically acclaimed 2018 Danish film of the same name. Fuqua, who has directed films such as Training Day, The Magnificent Seven remake, and Olympus Has Fallen, manages to keep the suspense up almost completely through phone calls, which is no easy achievement.
Voice performers such as Ethan Hawke, Riley Keough, Eli Goree, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Paul Dano, and Peter Sarsgaard contribute. However, because the film is so aural, you may become confused if you are not paying attention. Don’t worry, Decider is here to assist you. Continue reading for a plot description of The Guilty and an explanation of The Guilty’s finale.
The Guilty Plot
The film follows Jake Gyllenhaal’s character, Joe Baylor, during an evening at work. Joe, a hot-tempered cop who was just demoted to handle calls as a 911 operator, finds himself in a difficult situation after receiving a distress call. Emily, played by Riley Keough and whose face is never visible in the film, begs for assistance. She addresses the operator as “Sweetie,” and says she’s going for a drive. She uses only yes or no questions to inform Joe that she has been kidnapped. Joe discovers Emily’s whereabouts and that she is in a white vehicle with her husband, who has kidnapped her.
Joe finds his way and rushes into the incident. He dispatches a friend to check on Emily’s children and discovers that the baby has been harmed. Joe believes the spouse assaulted the infant before fleeing with Emily. Joe later confronts Emily and discovers her discussing “the snakes in Oliver’s tummy.” Emily has a psychiatric background, and she was the one who harmed the infant, Joe understands. Meanwhile, we discover that Joe will stand trial the next day.
‘The Guilty’ Ending Explained
Joe then calls Henry, who sobs over the phone and tells that Emily was taken off medication because they ran out of money. He says that his wife murdered the infant and that he is escaping with her because she is unaware of the situation. Later, Joe chats to a terrified, perplexed Emily who is standing on an overpass, ready to leap. Joe calms her down by telling her a fascinating anecdote about himself.
The cop admits that he had killed in the past and that he couldn’t let her die. It is only then that he discovers the infant is still alive. Joe calls a friend who will testify against him in court and asks him to tell the truth. Joe decides to do time in prison for the murder he committed. He makes one last phone call to the journalist who has been bugging him about the case all day. As the film concludes, soundbites of journalists calling detective Joe Baylor guilty of manslaughter are heard. The dramatic twist and exhilarating trip make it an engrossing film to watch.
Joe makes one final phone call to the journalist who has been bugging him all day to share his side of the story—presumably to set up an interview. As the film concludes, we hear journalists declare that LAPD detective Joe Baylor pleads guilty to homicide.
That’s all there is to it! Joe had been the guilty party the entire time.