Guilt (2020) Poster

(III) (2020)

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6/10
Okay, but nothing new
circaninetysix16 September 2020
I guess I expected more from the concept. Super predictable, kind of a lame ending. Characters are okay but the dialog is not really all that well written or realistic. This movie really didn't surprise me in any way. Its your typical sort of vigilante revenge sort of movie, but brings nothing new or interesting to the table. There was maybe one part of the plot that was unexpected and changes how you see the main character. Unfortunately, the character doesn't really grow from this experience, and the movie just sort of ends.
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4/10
Needs improvement in all departments.
Nemesis423 February 2022
The film could have been enhanced with better casting, tightening of the edit and a proper sound design and mix. So much foley was completely missing or off the mark. Not enough bold atoms and sfx work. Score mixed flat without volume dynamics. Some of the shot framing was random and artlessly executed, with mostly uninteresting camera positions and shot combinations. As a result of the aforementioned, there's little tension and atmosphere within the film.

Some of the actors were not believable. The first victim, and the receptionist, the casting for these two - terrible. The lead protagonist could act well but was the wrong choice for the role. The Grace actor was doing a good job but it's up to the director to calibrate her and the other actors to perform more or less extreme in places.

It's hard to pinpoint what is wrong. While watching, it felt like a bit of everything could be improved. Casting and sound (sfx, score, mix) were the biggest sore thumbs for me. Always willing to give Aussie flicks a go, but I can't pull punches just because it's Aussie.
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4/10
Not Marvel Daredevil
Stanlee10718 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The storyline sounds very familiar to me: someone that works as ex-psychologist by day and vigilante by night... It's like daredevil except he was a lawyer by day... Or Bruce Wayne that is a philanthropist during the day time & Batman by night Or Peter Parker as a photographer at Daily Bugle during the day and Spider man at night. They try to make her seem more human in this film.

She lures known child abusers/molesters to her quiet place & then exact her justice like 2000 AD Judge Dredd & Basic Instincts... This kind of confusing as a psychologist they tend to believe that they can help change those people's mindset & thus they are less likely to offend again...

It feels like a TV movie & all the villains are very clichéd ott Evil. That would make a good plotline so they can be easily hated and dehumanised meaning their murders appear justified.

The protagonist is somehow as trained as Liam Neesam was in Taken or Matt Damon was in Jason Bourne at taking down people/enemies... The ending is taken from one of those films.
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3/10
Accountability for thee, but not for me
vandeman-scott5 June 2021
In GUILT, we see a garden variety psychopathic serial killer cum vigilante, Jesse (Janet Shay), who has convinced herself that she alone is righteous, meting out the justice that, in her sole judgment, the courts failed to visit upon child abusers. Never mind some of her victims had been tried, convicted, adjudicated, and had served their sentences. Never mind the rush she gets from stalking her victims, from the trophies she keeps, and from the act of killing itself. Not for even a single solitary moment is Jesse introspective enough to realize that she's as bad or worse than the criminals she kills. Until she realizes that she is responsible for the deaths of innocents, at which time -- after a brief moment of self awareness -- she stretches for an excuse to, yes, kill again.

It's not certain whether the filmmakers want us to like or to dislike Jesse; she's quite the opposite of the loveable murderer, Dexter, who clearheadedly acknowledges what he's doing is abominable, but who displays a modicum of charisma and adheres to a consistent moral code, thereby somehow giving the viewer license to like him. Instead, she's a sour-faced shrew who rationalizes wanton murder until she can rationalize no more, then when faced with capture proves herself to be a full-on coward lacking both courage and any real moral conviction. Accountability for thee, but not for me.

Aside from the absence of characters one can like or even respect, GUILT suffers from a twist- and reversal-free, straight-line plot and weak acting on the part of the lead actress. I think there also was supposed to be some suspense in this movie somewhere, but it failed to materialize. It gets three stars only on the strength of some surprisingly strong performances by Hayley Flowers as Grace and especially Mitchell Matthews as the minor character, Kit.

Otherwise, the whole affair comes off as a second-rate, poorly written movie of the week, and even the collective disgust society rightly has for child rapists is neither enough to gin up any sympathy on the part of the viewer ... for anyone ... nor enough to create and sustain a bloodlust for revenge on child molesters.

If I'd had enough time to start another movie before it was time to turn out the lights, I would have.
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2/10
Script Holes as big as the Grand Canyon
arfdawg-117 September 2020
It's basically made like a lifetime drama. Filled with obvious plot holes, slow, and rather boring.

You know the direction this is going and where it will end up in frame number one.
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1/10
Putrid at Best
leonardhalliwell1 September 2021
Boring and pointless. The vigilante looked more like a guy than a gal. She was built like a Russian hod carrier.

Narrative could have been written by a 12 year old. It goes nowhere.
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4/10
Pedestrian, some wooden acting, plot non-sequiturs
britlektorcomenius19 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Low-budget, some wooden acting and dialogue (particularly the receptionist).

There is a decent kernel of a story which, with more polished directing, casting and dialogue could have been an above average Michael Winnerish sort of film.

Best actor: Tom Wilson as Mitchell - the counsellor's former patient who comes clean about making stories up about his 'abuser'.
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7/10
Left me wanting
CraigRaymondMusic20 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I realize a movie is only as good as its writers and what is allowed on camera. So I'll give the actors and actresses a pass for this analysis.

As shared by a few others, the story was very predictable. It jumped around a bit, trying to rush through the story, but could have used a bit more filling in the gaps to what brought the main character to her behavior. Speaking of the main character, I kept being reminded of "The Punisher" or "The Phantom" same idea of vigilante justice.

If action wasn't the main idea behind the film, even the sneaking out of the house, just before the police got there, could have used more camera time.

There were a few long pauses, where film time could have been better used, lessening the dead space between scenes. Could have used less of the times dragging each body to their demise, maybe just a hit here and there, till the second to last one or maybe the very first one, then insinuate the rest. Anything to shorten the film, giving space for deeper content to fill that space.

Anyway, this is just my humble opinion. I'm no film producer; I simply love movies and have been enjoying film for many great years and could see this film going much further, but the ending had me wanting deeper content, more meat behind the story.
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10/10
Brave View on a Difficult Subject
smeghead1011 October 2020
The filmmakers have charged into tricky territory with their film GUILT and although not without its flaws, it does an admirable job of investigating the ethical quagmire of vigilantism. The directors have done an extraordinary job in giving their film a big screen feel with a polish in picture and sound that belies its small budget and its execution can be a lesson to many indies in how to add value and integrity to one's vision in bringing important subjects to the screen.
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7/10
The Avenging Angel
lavatch27 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Dr. Jessie Muller served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and her experience may may have changed her forever. As a psychologist, she is now a dedicated professional who used to work with children. It turns out, however, that she is leading a secret life as a vigilante murdering pedophiles after they have been released from prison.

The film's title gets at the heart of a shocking revelation to Dr. Muller that at least one of her killings was based on false evidence and that she killed an innocent man. But that insight does not change the doctor's behavior. She brutally kills Grace O'Connor, who fell into a grey area because of the abuse she received from a monster. The court suspended her sentence and allowed her to walk free. Dr. Muller should have recognized that the woman may have been suffering from the Stockholm Syndrome.

The filmmakers were successful in dveloping a nuanced protagonist and an intriguing set of characters surrounding her. One of the most interesting is Helen, the receptionist at the psychiatry office, who senses that something is deeply troubling Dr. Muller. After Helen discovers the doctor's diary, the walls will start closing in on her.

The sadistic Dr. Muller sees herself as an avenging angel. But her overweening righteousness eventually catches up with her. The film was excessively violent, especially in the treatment of Grace O'Connor. But there was an effective, ambiguous ending to the film that suggested that the doctor may be granted the precious "second chance" in life that she denied the victims of her merciless fury.
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10/10
Now this is what I'm talking about!
VeganVag14 June 2021
This is the type of chick flick I can get behind! The acting was great, cinematography excellent, and the plot awesome!

Anyone rating this under 6 stars is guilty of the crimes committed in this movie .

Thanks!
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8/10
Good psychological profile film
OneAnjel4 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
For an apparently low-budget Indy film, I thought the acting, directing, and staging was well-done. It held my interest. It's not a vigilante film so much as a character study but which shows some of the violent acts. There are no scenes of children being abused so I disagree with calling it a difficult subject; the subject of the film is the shrink, who they explain has been in war zones as a military doctor, and then hint that she stopped treating children because it was too difficult for her to see their pain. The film briefly reveals that her own sister had been abused as a child and that Jess feels guilty for not having been able to stop it. Most reviewers mistake the Guilt as being Jess's when it's revealed one of her victims had not actually molested anyone. In the film, we are expected to take that at face-value yet in the real world many adults who were molested as children start denying the abuse in an effort to reclaim a normal life. Here, the child, now 17, admits the truth and then kills himself. Jess does go through some emotional dilemma at that point, but whether she feels guilt for any of her deeds she proceeds to commit another murder: Grace. Jess saw through Grace's lawyer-concocted defense, as could the audience. In the end, we see Jess going off to start her hobby in a new town, presumably with a new identity. As a woman with a degree in psychology, we know her having a cork-board in her living-room and a detailed journal was not because of a lack of intelligence but because she felt what she was doing was very important -- insanity aside. I think the title, Guilt, stems from her not being able to save her sister from being abuse, yet that is such a small conversation in the film most viewers miss it and think Jess feels guilty for her crimes, as does the write-up.
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8/10
Really enjoyable snappy flick!!
feev1 July 2021
Gosh Whatta great surprise of a movie..... Really enjoyed it from the excellent start, the twist midway then to the solid ending. I was super impressed with Janet Shay ...... Her varied looks were awesome..... From tough / mean to sweet / empathetic then to smart / sexy...... EXCELLENT Find!!!
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8/10
Interesting movie
winterslowcharlie6 February 2021
Although not perfect I can see where the Filmakers were going with this difficult subject!. The pacing was good and I was never once bored as there was always something happening and when the twist comes it's heartbreaking! It well worth a watch!
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8/10
Keeps you interested
chipsdipsanddorks12 May 2021
First off, she is a bad-ass. It does have a clever twist in the middle that make you think, but other than that, you are all in for Vigilante Jessie. Wish we had more vigilantes in the world.
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9/10
Film Message: Don't Take the Law in Your Hands.
oaspag-713182 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Hi there! Saw this and wished to give my pov. Just a 2 cents.

Guilt is a film that is trying to send a message (mixed message in the end), which is don't take the law in your hands. Spoilers ahead. The Story: is a woman (Mrs. Shay, Jesse) that is a psychologist (she was in the Iraq/Afghanistan war and, later; now, making a life in the US, as psychologist, and living alone in an apartment) whom patients consult her and tell her their life/mental problems; which she listens (as psychologist/therapist). Jesse is very calm and 'listening'...she etches doodles in her doodlebook - while patients tell her her their life/misery(s)...the film makes us think (by not showing us what she is writing/the camera angle) that she writing about her patient's/what they tell her about their life...but, in fact, she is not. She is sketching the 'next' person she will target - child molester(s)/pedophiles and basically, very low lifes, whom are 'free' (may or may not have purge their time/sentence for their molesting crime)... thus, we understand that it is Revenge movie/Vendetta movie, or also called, Vigilante (Justice) Movie; the film is called 'Guilt'...it is self-explanatory. And on the poster, we see Jesse dragging a body bag (one of the molesters - she terminated). Jesse is deciding to be (the saying) 'Judge, Jury and Executioner', as she goes on 'night hunts' (in daytime she is psychologist, at nightime she is vigilante), to hunt the 'bad guys' roaming free and being a threat to the children. Whom, the criminals deserved some punishment; that much is true and obvious. Now, the film is trying to say it is not 'black or white'..there are shades of gray. And that you cannot decide to take the law in your hands - like she does. Because, when looked from the surface - she is doing a good thing, a good deed, removing the people that sexually prey on children...therefore, people should be happy that she is doing the Justice - that justice itself Failed to deliver. As in, the criminals are 'walking free' and 'their punishment was a joke' - in measure compared to their crime. That, they should not be set free/that they are animals - that need to stay in cage/in prison for the rest of their life/days. So as to not be a threat in society anymore (or ever again). Thus, the film is saying : ''What do you do...when the law fails you, fails to give you justice, is unjust and someone walks free and is guilty through their teeth; and the punishment they get is basically a tap on the wrist and 'candy sentence' - and then they are 'set free again' in the open (society), 'to be rehabilitated' in rehab/rehabilitation....that they should be given a 2nd Chance...to redeem themselves',. Jesse is basiaclly saying/thinking : '' IT's pointless..going to court to have my rights be respected...to hand down the correct sentence punishment on these child molesters...that all deserve to die..why waste my time - going to court - it's pointless...these lawyers protect these monsters 'walking free again' and prey on kids...while us citizens live in fear the next door neighbour is one of them, the Law does Not Work...and going to court to 'vote it out/Change It'..is pointless/does not change anything..they still are on the streets...so what is there left to do to Obtain Justice?''. Jesse: ''Me. The Judge, Jury and Executioner - will Obtain/Exact the Exact Justice - that should have been Exacted - because it was not, and we never obtained justice...it is, thus, injust/unjust - UNjust Justice System/Corrupt justice system that favors these criminals - over the victims''. Therefore, she feels ''only one thing left to do...me, to do it'..so she goes on the night rampages and offs everyone of them. Police at a certain point the film 'catch her'...and 'peace things together'...when they find her apartment and see the 'photos of the molesters on the wall' (the next ones to be targeted) - they connect the dots, she is the one doing this (vigilante/vendetta) 'get justice' justice. The fim does a good job in nuancing and saying : ''it's hard...to 'slice this'...these peoeple deserve a punishment...but is it ok to go on 'child molester killer sprees'...people would not object all that much - if she can remove the molesters - she is doing everyone a Favor - when the police/justice is Useless against these criminal people''. During the film, there is man that organizes a ''We want justice'' group...and he is saying : ''That molester...fker...needs to be in prison...he roams free on the streets...we never got justice''...Jesse partakes in the group and the police connect the dots when the man says (after police asking him if there was one member that was a bit too overzealous - because the molester is dead): ''Oh...there was this woman she came and she was not from around...''. That's when the police connect the dots and realize that it is her (an out of town vigilante) that is doing this, there are too many aggravating factors to just be coincidences; it'S her. Thus, jesse is Stuck and knows now that she is the one being hunted (even at that point, her secretary stumbles on ehr doodlle book - she is left crying/horrified - the doodle book is full of 'kill y'all - and even a hung molester (grace)'', she thought that Jesse was doing her regular 'psychotherapist' work...about writing of her patients miseries...but no, it'S basically a doodle killbook of child molesters; Jesse runs back to her work and stumbles on her secretaty that 'found out'...and she tells him :''I won't hurt you...'' as she takes her doodle book from her hands. She runs away again to Grace (one of the child molesters she abducted at gunpoint), Grace has been locked, she is the female child molester in this film and the film Makes Us Think she is guilty...but then later, one of the siblings/friend of Grace confesses that is was all the fault of Grace's boyfriend/husband whom trafficked children/molested them. That Grace, herself, was a 'victim' of her boyfriend's 'stronghold', Grace repeatedly tells Jesse that she is innocent and was Scared that her bf would kill her - if she did not comply with him. But Jesse does not buy it and tortures her and straps her on a chair. That's at that point that Jesse realizes her vigilanteism went too far and she si wrong - Grace Is innocent (after the confession from the other related guy who said he lied about his testifying in court); same thing, in the film for an old man (a flashback where Jesse shoots dead an old man who is unfailry accused of child molester...She regrets her error later when found out later He Is Innocent..that makes you realize can't take law in hands, ->a mistake, some people Are Innocent; worse justice, is->Wrongfully Accused.
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10/10
Captivating
ameliafoxton1 October 2020
This thrilling film takes you on a journey into the darker hearts and minds of human nature, providing a unique perspective on a vigilante approach to retribution. The story is hard-hitting, raw and challenging at times, brilliantly performed and delivered by the cast. The spectacular visuals of the film are complimented with a wonderful musical score. I was captivated from start to finish.
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10/10
James, on the suspect Janet shay.
jphillipsjp-7415512 October 2021
Janet should be in hundreds of movies. I look at some of her activities, as in helping people across the universe. This brings tears to my eyes in a joyous occasion. She my favorite. Shay,I believe God is really gonna take you places that no man can block.
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10/10
Justice for 1 justice for all, like it should be.
aocsincher23 September 2020
When the courts fail, someone needs to make it right and the lead character in this film has the balls to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. I will also applaud the star who played the part of Jessie, she pulled it off...and made me a 10'er.
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