DIFF2018 - The Guilty

This fascinating film tells the story of Asger Holm, an alarm dispatcher who was formerly a police officer, in how he handles the events of a kidnapping call past his shift. Asger is not in the best light at his work and multiple individuals who he interacts with seem to have had enough of him. His character, stress, and sense of duty to handle this call are beautifully displayed as a communication of Asger’s principles.

The film is set in a modern government setting that seems to be the perfect place to be the primary location of a thriller film. Jakob Cedergren, who plays Asger, possesses that sense of seriousness mixed with some humor that seems perfect for his character. Asger Holm is not in the best period of his life and is just trying to handle his duties as professionally as possible. Cedergren convincingly brings that sense of calm and a rational approach that his character utilizes to address the emergency calls.

This was an excellent and brilliant execution of a thriller with a central focus on a environment. The entire film takes place in an emergency call operation office. Cedergren phenomenally captured the different emotions that his character exudes during the highly climactic and dramatic moments within this distressing call. The writing in this film is enrapturing in the way that it communicates the dire circumstances and dangers over the line.

Asger takes the call of Iben, a woman who is taken in a kidnapping and has children alone at the home. Asger, in all of his professional training, tries to calm the woman down and utilize every single resource that he can to bring her to safety. This major component of how Asger expresses deep concern with urgency for this woman communicates the complexity of the character. He has flaws that are evident in the script with his colleagues and yet he possesses a strong desire to protect those in danger. This sense of duty to his community mixed with his questionable history is the product of brilliant character development.

This story had the audience completely immersed with every change and transition in the central phone call that meant the danger of one’s life. The director, Gustav Möller, did an wonderful job with using the small space to produce great excitement in the story. Asger’s tense state-of-being and his anger at the circumstances of this call bring intense life to the setting.

This film was an outstanding project to witness and I am sure it will be a best-shot contender at the DIFF awards.
(Review by Wyatt Head)