The Guilty

Radio drama of the year 2018. Nicely civil in a “Lindholm" way. At the same time, however, it is true that precisely because of civility, all the twists and turns on which it sadly relies too much are from the very beginning quite obvious. And, unfortunately, this includes the occasional logical lapses that break down the civility. But again, it doesn't matter that much, because it will soon take on such a captivating pace that there's still no time to deal with them. (12/27/2018)

Very nice, tense and surprising. The beginning and the first call with the kidnap victim are gripping, but the pace gradually crumbles due to the not very interesting personal storyline, but the credible dialogues and the strong (though not shocking) twists keep your attention throughout the decent runtime. The original way it casts doubts over who’s guilty and not guilty and the work ethic prevail over the pure formal qualities and the authenticity, and it’s not bad at all. 75% (01/24/2019)

Although the camera essentially stays the main protagonist and never leaves his police telephone exchange, this thriller is extremely gripping and even able to surprise with unexpected twists. Practically, the only thing happening are telephone calls. However, the viewer gradually learns not only about the criminal case of the crisis call of an abducted woman, but also the background and nature of the main protagonist, including his personal problems, as well as the psychologically-demanding routine of emergency line operators in general. Lots of substance with minimal resources, maximum intimacy, but also maximum effect. (06/29/2018)

A beautiful, unintentional slap in the face of our current filmmakers, who whine all the time that they don't have the money to make films and when they do get it and make something, it's mostly crap. Here's proof that it's not about money – all you need is an idea, a vision and a skilled craftsman. The almost 90 minutes feel like 10, it has tension, it has an unexpected twist in the second act or so; simply, as I've been convinced lately, the Danes are on fire! (02/14/2019)

When an entire movie is based on one guy, you need to like him – one way or another. I had pretty mixed feelings about him, though. While I thought he gave a good and believable performance as an actor, I was incredibly annoyed by his superiority and his treatment of his colleagues and the people on the other side of the line. It was quite distracting and as a result I was only interested in what was happening where we couldn't see it. You could say this film is about a single moment in time. And that worked for me. But then it sort of awkwardly fell apart, and suddenly it was over, and that just wasn't enough for me. A weaker 4 stars (11/03/2021)