MUST WATCH: Netflix's Guilty Stuns Audiences

SPOILER ALERT! TRIGGER WARNING!

This article will contain certain trigger words and will discuss the plot of the new Netflix film, Guilty.

As Kiara Advani, the star of the Netflix movie Guilty that recently released on March 6th, blows up, it only seemed reasonable to want to watch the movie. And so I went into Netflix blindly thinking that it would be a romance movie of sorts with some crime mingled into it. However, it was the complete opposite of calm.

It was drama with a hint of romance unified with crime and social justice with at time humor, paranoia, and so much more.

Right off the bat, a storyline revealed in flashbacks is introduced to us. A detective is questioning a man named Tashi. This is when we are indirectly informed that the movie will be focused on a rape trial and the MeToo movement before the screen cuts out to the title page. The suspense permeates the scene and as the music builds, the paranoia and sense of wonder also correlates.

The movie then travels to Nanki, portrayed by Kiara Advani, and her story with flash forwards to the case. At this point, we don’t know whether or not Tanu, the rape victim, is doing this for the money or was actually a victim. Nanki is dead set against Tanu and believes that her boyfriend, VJ, the alleged rapist, would never do anything like this.

Nanki eventually does find out that Tanu was telling the truth through repressed memories coming back and a timeline built by investigator Danish. In the end, Nanki and Tanu reveal to everyone what VJ had done. Nanki had also actually been through a similar experience herself when she was younger, presumably by her father. Throughout the entire movie, viewers can see that Nanki has endured a lot of trauma and the ending reveals all.

The story and message of this movie is truly impactful and already has had a huge effect on the movie industry.

The way Guilty portrays the MeToo movement accentuates on how the movement has transformed. People are more worried about likes, retweets, comments, and views than the actual content that they’re putting out online nowadays. Due to this, it is getting harder and harder to differentiate between who is real and who is fake. The movie highlights the fact that sometimes the truth is right under our eyes and all we try to do is ignore it. We know we are wrong and refuse to accept that.

Furthermore, Guilty obviously goes into sexual assault and the dangerous implications of it. Sexual assault can leave long lasting horrible problems for the victims, including PTSD, which Nanki exhibited clear symptoms of. The movie does an excellent job of portraying how VJ, a rapist, is able to hide his wrongdoings simply because he is rich and has power.

Guilty is able to effectively tackle multiple issues at once, making it the perfect movie to combat social rights issues.

The cinematography throughout the movie is also just absolutely stunning. The shots merged perfectly with the music providing for a tense feeling of wonder and fright. Guilty sported more dark themed colors allowing the movie to exude the perfect tone for the topic of sexual assault. There are also some explicit scenes showing the actual rape occur.

Moreover, the entire cast of Guilty performed with such skill and talent. Kiara Advani stole the show with her portrayal of Nanki. From the very first scene that she appears in, the story became so real. Advani’s usage of raw emotion and blend of that with her character allowed for an interesting and captivating performance. In addition, Taher Shabbir, Akansha Ranjan Kapoor, and Gurfateh Pirzada all were notable actors in this film and added to the amazing final version.

Guilty was one of the most raw, true, real films I have watched in a while. Netflix truly did the MeToo movement and sexual assault victims justice by portraying the reality of the misuse of power and the deadly effects of sexual assault.