Directed by Antoine Fuqua, "The Guilty" features Jake Gyllenhaal as Joe Baylor,
a police officer who has to spend an intense night working the 911 dispatch lines while
balancing his deep troubles at work and home. And with a wildfire raging throughout Los
Angeles, he also grapples with an already-strained response system.
Some of the most compelling characters of the story aren't seen,
but heard through the call system. And chances are good that you might
recognize some of the talented actors who lend their vocals to "The Guilty."
Here's a look at why the phone call voices in the film sound so familiar.
Apart from Joe, the star of "The Guilty" is undoubtedly Emily Lighton, who's voiced by
Riley Keough. Convinced that Emily has been abducted, Joe takes extraordinary measures to
find her and becomes personally invested in an elaborate rescue effort of his own direction.
"Emily, does the person you're with have a weapon? "I don't know."
"Have you been abducted?" "Yes."
With Keough's credentials, it's no wonder she does such a phenomenal job pulling off this
complex character from start to finish. She's made quite a name for herself with
memorable performances in films like "Mad Max: Fury Road," "The Lodge,"
and "American Honey." Recently, she stunned with her performance in "The Devil All the Time."
Another major player of the phone game in "The Guilty" is Peter Sarsgaard,
who portrays Emily's ex, Henry Fischer.
"Do you know where your wife is?"
"Nope." "When was the last time you saw her, doctor?"
"I don't know."
"Well, don't you think you should go check in on your children?"
"I can't do that right now." "What, what are you busy with something?"
"Yup." Sarsgaard is one of the most well-respected
actors in the business. Fans may most recognize him for his work in films like "Shattered Glass,"
"Garden State," and "An Education," but he's also turned in incredible work on the
small screen with series like "Wormwood." Plus, he's worked with Gyllenhaal in the past in the
films "Jarhead" and "Rendition," and he's had experience working with Fuqua before as well,
starring as the villain in the director's 2016 action-drama "The Magnificent Seven."
One call-in character that manages to pull on all the heartstrings is Rick,
Joe's police partner who's preparing to back his buddy at work.
"I'm afraid I might say the wrong thing." "Hey, hey. Joe. I know.
"I feel it." Rick is portrayed by Eli Goree,
a highly prolific actor who you might recognize from his recent film role as Cassius Clay in "One
Night in Miami..." Meanwhile, television audiences will no doubt remember him from his memorable
roles in "The 100," "Ballers," and "Riverdale." Perhaps the most cavalier character that Joe
comes into contact with throughout "The Guilty" is Sergeant Bill Miller.
"That's enough, it's enough! What are you trying to do? You are in enough trouble already."
The character is critical to fleshing out Joe's work history and the mindset he's in when we first
meet him, and who better to make such a pivotal voice role work than the incredible Ethan Hawke?
For starters, Hawke is a frequent collaborator of Fuqua's, having starred in "Training Day,"
"Brooklyn's Finest," and "The Magnificent Seven." Hawke is also known for many other screen roles,
including his celebrated work in movies like the "Before Sunrise" trilogy and "Boyhood",
and television series like "The Good Lord Bird." With over three decades of incredible work under
his belt, Hawke is still one of the most in-demand actors of his time, so it's hardly
a wonder his voice in this film rings so true. A caller who does little to inspire any policing
instincts in Joe, Matthew Fontenot calls 911 after an unfortunate robbery. As Joe deduces,
his new caller has been separated from his wallet and laptop after eliciting certain services from
a person in the financial district. "What did she look like?"
"She was young. And tall. Dark skin. Pink hair. In heels."
Fans may recognize the voice of Matthew Fontenot as none other than actor Paul Dano,
the celebrated star of films like "There Will Be Blood," "Little Miss Sunshine," "Swiss Army
Man," and "Love & Mercy," cementing himself as one of the best character actors of his generation.
Perhaps the caller who gets the very least amount of help from the distracted Joe during
his call into dispatch is the unnamed fellow who dials 911 for some assistance getting
into a nightclub.
"Barracuda now. The doorman just attacked us."
"Get the police down here now." "Wait, where are you?"
"The fucking Barracuda. I just told you that."
The voice at the end of this colorful call may
sound pretty familiar because it's none other than Bill Burr, who fans can frequently hear using such
choice words in the animated series "F Is for Family." You may also know Burr for his many
electric comedy specials, including "I'm Sorry You Feel that Way," "Walk Your Way Out," and
"Paper Tiger," or even his more dramatic work in series like "Breaking Bad" and "The Mandalorian."
Undoubtedly the most devastating call that Joe has to deal with all night is the one from Tim Geraci.
He's a Los Angeles Police Department officer who responds to a request for a visit to the home of
the abducted Emily Lighton to perform a welfare check on Abby and her baby brother, Oliver.
"Did you hurt yourself Abby?" "It's not mine."
"She has blood on her hands and shirt."
"What's going on? Check on Oliver."
The character of Tim is voiced by actor David
Castañeda, who may be best known for his role as Diego Hargreeves in "The Umbrella Academy."
Castañeda has also appeared in series like "Jane the Virgin" and films like "Sicario:
Day of the Soldado." But even without showing his face in "The Guilty," the actor makes a
lasting impression with his performance as the officer who gets a good look at
what the characters in this film are capable of. Other voices you'll hear during Joe's increasingly
fraught night include the immensely talented "Dolemite Is My Name" actress and singer Da'Vine
Joy Randolph, who voices the CHP dispatcher that frequently contacts Joe throughout the night.
"Come on!" "We don't know where they're headed."
"We've got officers dealing with multiple…" "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah." "...fire-related incidents."
"Look for a plate number and I'll inform the offi--"
Finally, young actress Christiana Montoya makes a major breakout in the role of little Abby,
the daughter of both Emily and Henry. "Mommy? Mommy?"
"Uh, this is Officer Joe Baylor of the LAPD. Is your mommy or daddy home?"
"No." "What's your name?"
"Abby." "How old are you?"
"Six years and nine months." "Six years and nine months."
"My brother's home too." "Good, can I talk to him?"
"He's a baby."
You may have caught her in the
television movie "Picture Perfect Lies," and with the kind of emotional resonance that she manages
to pull off by her voice work alone, you'll no doubt be seeing her a lot more in the future.
Even though Jake Gyllenhaal carries most of the visual action in "The Guilty," so much of
the strength of the film lies in the voices you hear, but don't see. With so much talent on both
sides of the phone, it's no wonder "The Guilty" is such a thrilling ride from start to finish.
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