The Guilty sprinkles bits and pieces of Joe Baylor’s backstory, but what crime did he really commit? Jake Gyllenhaal plays Joe, a police officer intent on ignoring a life-changing event in the American remake of the 2018 Danish film of the same name. The Guilty, directed by Antoine Fuqua, centers Joe in his attempts to help Emily, a woman who was seemingly kidnapped by her dangerous ex-husband, though there’s something more sinister going on that colors every aspect of Joe’s life and motivations. 

When the audience is first introduced to Joe, he’s behind a desk at the emergency dispatch call center. Joe is easily frustrated and angered, itching to get back on the streets as a cop, but tasked with taking calls following his killing of a 19-year-old named Joseph. While much of the drama unravels without Joe ever leaving his temporary place of work, his crimes are only alluded to at first by way of a journalist persistently calling to speak with him about the fast-approaching court case. However, in his attempts to help Emily, he discovers a few truths about the situation that surprise him. Eventually, his realizations of Emily’s predicament get him to admit that he killed Joseph out of anger and just because he could. 

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Joe claims he wanted to punish the teenager, though The Guilty never fully reveals exactly what happened. By keeping it vague, the audience can imagine what may have gone down on that horrific day. What the film does confirm is that Joe’s murder is a high-profile case and is getting a lot of media attention. Since The Guilty, if only briefly, touches up the issues of police brutality, the story seems to suggest that Joe took matters too far. Similar to the case with Emily, who Joe wrongfully believed was a victim of her husband’s cruelty, the cop likely didn’t have all the information about Joseph’s situation. He probably assumed the teen was threatening when he wasn’t; perhaps Joe thought Joseph was armed when he wasn’t, too. 

And it’s possible the cop thought Joseph had hurt someone when he didn’t (as was the case with Emily’s ex), with Joe killing him thinking that he was in the wrong somehow. Perhaps he was called to the scene and Joe got trigger-happy instead of trying to ascertain what was actually happening. The film, to some extent, suggests that cops are not equipped to handle every situation that is called into the 911 dispatch operators and, like with Joe’s anger and impatience, they end up using force when it’s unnecessary to do so. 

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While The Guilty doesn’t offer any details, it’s hinted that Joe used his power and force in his position as a police officer to inflict maximum harm and damage. He quietly confirms this by pleading guilty at the end of the film. So, while The Guilty does keep the events leading up to Joe’s crime vague enough for the audience to ponder about, there’s enough to suggest that the crime likely began like so many others that have happened in real life. 

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Mae Abdulbaki
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Mae Abdulbaki is a movie reviews editor with Screen Rant. She previously wrote about a variety of movies and TV shows for Inverse, CinemaBlend, Pajiba, and The Young Folks, where she wrote reviews, features, news pieces. Her other work can be found at The Mary Sue, Film School Rejects, UPROXX, Heroic Hollywood, Looper, The List, and Bam Smack Pow, among others. Mae has also appeared on television segments, podcasts, and panels to discuss all things entertainment.

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