MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for The Guilty

The Guilty

2021 · 89 min

A taut, claustrophobic thriller that unfolds entirely through phone calls, keeping you on edge with a gripping vocal performance and a morally complex story.

Directed by
Antoine Fuqua
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Starring
Jake Gyllenhaal, Ethan Hawke, Riley Keough
Tagline
Listen carefully.
Overview
A demoted police officer assigned to a call dispatch desk is conflicted when he receives an emergency phone call from a kidnapped woman.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

Stream in the UK
  • Netflix
More options Data from JustWatch
Directed by
Antoine Fuqua
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Starring
Jake Gyllenhaal, Ethan Hawke, Riley Keough
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • tensestrength 3 of 3
  • darkstrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 1 of 3
Pacing
slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
demanding, 4 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • guilt
  • redemption
  • isolation
  • family
  • morality
Places
  • workplace
  • big city
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • single location
  • twist ending
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language strong
  • Violence mild
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action3
Horror2
Humour2
Realism8
Romance1
Tension8
Darkness7
Complexity6
Emotional weight8

More like this

Titles like The Guilty

Movie

The Guilty

2018

A claustrophobic, pulse-pounding experience that unfolds entirely through phone calls, demanding close attention as tension mounts.

Tense, dark, slow-burn · about guilt and redemption · single location

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • guilt
  • redemption
  • single location
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
85 min
Details
The GuiltyHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

True Detective

2014

A slow, brooding descent into moral murk, where conversations carry as much dread as the crimes themselves.

Same director: Nic Pizzolatto · Tense, dark, slow-burn · about isolation

Also
Same director: Nic Pizzolatto
Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • isolation
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Seasons
5
Details
True DetectiveHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Primetime

2026

A slow-burn, unsettling plunge into the making of a reality TV sting, where performative justice curdles into a tense, morally queasy nightmare.

Tense, dark, slow-burn · about guilt

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • guilt
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
110 min
Details
PrimetimeHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Training Day

2001

A sweaty, nerve-jangling ride through LA's underworld that keeps you tense and morally off-balance from start to finish.

Same director: Antoine Fuqua · Tense, dark · about morality · twist ending

Also
Same director: Antoine Fuqua
Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • morality
  • twist ending
Pacing
relentless
Attention
engaged
Runtime
122 min
Details
Training DayHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Prisoners

2013

A relentless, grim descent into desperation and moral compromise that keeps you tightly wound and uneasy throughout.

Tense, dark, slow-burn · about morality · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • morality
  • twist ending
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
153 min
Details
PrisonersHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Magnolia

1999

A sprawling, emotionally intense mosaic that sweeps you through interconnected lives with raw performances and surreal moments, demanding full attention.

Tense, melancholic, slow-burn · about guilt and redemption

Via
  • tense
  • melancholic
  • guilt
  • redemption
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
189 min
Details
MagnoliaHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Verity

2026

A sleek, chilly thriller that keeps you uneasy, constantly second-guessing what's real and who's lying.

Tense, dark · about morality · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • morality
  • twist ending
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
117 min
Details
VerityHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

The Terminal List

2022

A grim, propulsive revenge ride that keeps you tense and uneasy as it peels back layers of conspiracy.

Same director: Antoine Fuqua · Tense, dark

Also
Same director: Antoine Fuqua
Via
  • tense
  • dark
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Seasons
2
Details
The Terminal ListHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Juror #2

2024

A slow-burning moral pressure cooker that keeps you uneasy, watching a decent man trapped by his own conscience.

Tense, dark · about guilt and family · single location

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • guilt
  • family
  • single location
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
114 min
Details
Juror #2Hidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Searching

2018

A taut, emotionally charged thriller told entirely through screens, keeping you glued as a father pieces together his daughter's secret life.

Tense, melancholic · about isolation and family · single location

Via
  • tense
  • melancholic
  • isolation
  • family
  • single location
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
102 min
Details
SearchingHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

The Killing

2011–2014

A slow, rain-soaked plunge into grief and obsession that leaves you tense, weary, and deeply moved.

Same writer: Nic Pizzolatto · Tense, dark, slow-burn · about family

Also
Same writer: Nic Pizzolatto
Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • family
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Seasons
4
Details
The KillingHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

STRAW

2025

A relentless, gut-punching spiral of misfortune that keeps tightening its grip, leaving you breathless and heartbroken.

Tense, dark · about isolation · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • isolation
  • twist ending
Pacing
relentless
Attention
engaged
Runtime
105 min
Details
STRAWHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Stream
  • Netflix

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
drama, thriller
Directed by
Antoine Fuqua
Written by
Nic Pizzolatto
Starring
Jake Gyllenhaal, Ethan Hawke, Riley Keough, Peter Sarsgaard, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Paul Dano, Eli Goree, Da'Vine Joy Randolph
Music
Marcelo Zarvos
Cinematography
Maz Makhani
Runtime
89 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata

Something wrong on this page? Tell us.