The Guilty
The Guilty Review: Story, Cast, Rating & Final Verdict
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Movie Overview: The Guilty
| Movie | The Guilty |
| Release Year | 2018 |
| Director | Gustav Möller |
| Genre | Thriller / Drama / Crime |
| Runtime | 85 minutes |
| Language | DA |
Quick Verdict: Hit or Flop?
Is The Guilty (2018) worth watching? According to our cinematic analysis, the film stands as a HIT with a verified audience rating of 7.3/10. Whether you're looking for the box office collection, ending explained, or parents guide, our review covers everything you need to know about this Thriller.
Cast & Character Study
The performances in The Guilty are led by Jakob Cedergren . The supporting cast, including Jessica Dinnage and Omar Shargawi , provides the necessary layers to the central narrative.
movieMx Verdict: Is it Worth Your Time?
What Works in the Movie
The Guilty stands out as a strong entry in the Thriller genre. The film benefits from engaging storytelling, memorable performances, and solid production values that help keep viewers invested.
- Compelling performances from the main cast
- Strong visual storytelling and direction
- Well-structured Thriller narrative
- Satisfying emotional or dramatic payoff
What Doesn't Work
Despite its strengths, The Guilty has a few issues that may affect the overall viewing experience, particularly in terms of pacing and narrative consistency.
- Uneven pacing in certain parts of the film
- Some predictable plot developments
- May not appeal to audiences outside the Thriller fanbase
Story & Plot Summary: The Guilty
Quick Plot Summary: Released in 2018, The Guilty is a Thriller, Drama, Crime film directed by Gustav Möller. The narrative builds tension through unpredictable twists and keeps audiences guessing until the final reveal. This summary provides a scannable look at the movie's central conflict involving Jakob Cedergren.
Story Breakdown
The plot weaves a complex web of mystery and suspense. Police officer Asger Holm, demoted to desk work as an alarm dispatcher, answers a call from a panicked woman who claims to have been kidnapped. Confined to the police station and with the phone as his only tool, Asger races against time to get help and find her. Information is revealed strategically, keeping viewers engaged as they piece together clues alongside Jakob Cedergren. The narrative maintains momentum through well-timed revelations and unexpected turns.
Narrative Structure
- Opening Hook: The opening scene plants the seeds of mystery, introducing questions that will drive the narrative forward.
- Character Arc: The main character shows growth throughout the story, though some supporting characters could have been more fully realized. Jakob Cedergren's arc is present but occasionally predictable.
- Climax & Resolution: All mysteries converge in a climax that recontextualizes earlier events and delivers satisfying answers.
Ending Explained: The Guilty
The Guilty Ending Explained: Directed by Gustav Möller, The Guilty resolves its central conflicts in a coherent and engaging way. The ending highlights the core thriller themes developed throughout the film.
The final twist encourages viewers to reconsider earlier moments in the story, particularly in scenes involving Jakob Cedergren. The interpretation of the ending may vary among viewers.
Key Elements of the Ending
- Narrative Resolution: The main storyline reaches a clear conclusion.
- Character Development: The central characters complete meaningful arcs.
- Thematic Message: The ending reinforces the thriller themes introduced earlier in the film.
The final moments of The Guilty reflect the creative choices of the filmmakers and align with the tone of the narrative.
The Guilty Real vs. Reel: Is it Based on a True Story?
Is The Guilty Based on a True Story?
The Guilty draws from real criminal cases and investigative records. As a thriller, drama, crime film directed by Gustav Möller, the production explores how real events can be adapted into a dramatic narrative.
Real Story vs Movie Version
The film balances factual inspiration with cinematic storytelling. Certain scenes are likely dramatized to enhance emotional impact.
Many viewers have praised the film for respecting the spirit of the real events.
Accuracy Assessment: The Guilty uses real-life inspiration as the foundation for a dramatized narrative. The film prioritizes thematic storytelling over strict documentary accuracy.
Who Should Watch The Guilty?
Worth Watching If You:
- Enjoy Thriller films and don't mind familiar tropes
- Are a fan of Jakob Cedergren or the director
- Want suspenseful moments and mystery
Top Cast: The Guilty
All Cast & Crew →














Where to Watch The Guilty Online?
Streaming Hub📺 Stream on
fuboTV
Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel
Monsters and Nightmares Amazon Channel
Warriors and Gangsters Amazon Channel🎟️ Rent on
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
FlixFling
Spectrum On Demand🏷️ Buy on
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
FlixFlingThe Guilty Parents Guide & Age Rating
2018 AdvisoryWondering about The Guilty age rating or if it's safe for kids? Here is our cinematic advisory:
⏱️ Runtime & Duration
The total runtime of The Guilty is 85 minutes (1h 25m). Ensuring you have enough time for the full cinematic experience.
Verdict Summary
Analyzing the overall audience sentiment, verified rating of 7.3/10, and global performance metrics, The Guilty is classified as a HIT. It remains an essential part of the 2018 cinematic calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Guilty worth watching?
The Guilty is definitely worth watching if you enjoy Thriller movies. It has a verified rating of 7.3/10 and stands as a HIT in our box office analysis.
Where can I find The Guilty parents guide and age rating?
The official parents guide for The Guilty identifies it as R. Our detailed advisory section above covers all content warnings for families.
What is the total runtime of The Guilty?
The total duration of The Guilty is 85 minutes, which is approximately 1h 25m long.
Best Movies to Watch if you liked The Guilty
How The Guilty Compares & Where it Ranks
Critic Reviews for The Guilty
Absolutely loved it - a "small" but great movie, and best proof that you don't need a big budget to keep an audience glued to the screen and at the edge of their seats. It's basically a room, a man and a telephone, and still manages to tell an intense story (and with a twist). Grim, but still has a few fun moments of relief. Fantastic performance by Jakob Cedergren, who also turned out to be a really nice guy (saw it Zurich Film Festival, and there was a Q&A with him). If you have a chance, go see it!
Great stuff, I love films like this. 'The Guilty' is a film that takes place at just one location, something that always has the potential to hinder a film's watchability - but when it's done right, there is nothing more engrossing to watch, and this 2018 flick is just that. I did predict where it was going, but as I always say: predictability in itself is never a negative, for me anyway. I can still appreciate what a film attempts to do and can enjoy seeing the filmmakers pull it off. The whole 90 minutes or so of this is absorbing, it's portrayed superbly throughout - terrific dialogue, editing, sound and, of course, acting. Jakob Cedergren makes for a top quality lead. A brilliant performance! Given how the film is told, the rest of the cast don't have much to work with so it's very much the Cedergren show - but, still, the likes of Jessica Dinnage, Katinka Evers-Jahnsen and Johan Olsen add to the film positively with their more audible contributions. I'm fascinated to see how the American remake went of this. I'm a fan of Jake Gyllenhaal's and I think I have seen an image of him next to a red light, which I presume is in fact a shot out of the 2021 retelling. I'm hoping they did something with it similarly to Gyllenhaal's 2011 film 'Source Code', which I adore, but I shall see at some point in the future, hopefully. As for this, I'd highly recommend it!
There’s something really effectively claustrophobic about this one-man crime drama. “Asger” (Jakob Cedergren) is a cop, not without his own baggage, reluctantly manning the emergency line when he gets a worryingly intriguing call from a woman who is clearly in distress. He establishes that she is on a motorway, in a white van and has two children who have been left alone at their home. As his shift is coming to an end, he focuses all his attentions on gleaning what he can from her, her six year old daughter and from her estranged husband who would appear to be involved in this mystery too. It’s set in a dark control room, with only the phone to use as he tries to get to the bottom of things and that provides us with quite a potently staccato nature to the question and answer dialogue that gradually reaches a crescendo that might not be quite what you were expecting. It’s a cleverly designed and paced feature that packs quite a lot of tension into ninety minutes, and it’s well worth a watch.
movieMx Verified
This review has been verified for accuracy and editorial quality by our senior cinematic analysts.
This analysis is compiled by our editorial experts using multi-source verification and audience sentiment data for maximum accuracy.










