The Confession is an odd movie tackling big themes in an honestly bizarre way.  A recently widowed singer, Naomi, is raising her son Dylan alone in her father’s home after discovering that her also recently deceased father recorded tapes confessing to murder. The Confession is a mixed bag of genre elements including “crime procedural” and “haunted house”.

• Written and Directed by: Will Canon
• Starring: Italia Ricci. Zachary Golinger. Scott Mechlowicz

There are some really well-done elements in The Confession, and then there are…not. Part of the fun of the movie is watching these elements unravel though, and it’s one that I have to say needs a full watch through to understand where it’s going, and why certain decisions were made.  I’m probably going to rewatch this one because I think it will be better on a second viewing. 

Will Canon, the director, also made Demonic, a movie I have watched so many times. It’s another blend of police drama and horror. I may like it a bit better than The Confession, but it also has Frank Grillo, and you all may know that I let him get away with a lot.

The Review

I’m going to go from the things I like the least to most. 

Grayson, Naomi’s childhood friend and partner in the investigation, gets the worst dialog. While he does help the investigation, his main role seems to be restating the obvious for the audience. 

 What could have been a simple ghost story gets way over-complicated with lore on the history of the town. These complications do not help. In fact, they kind of make things worse.  The original spirit is Royce Cobb, the subject of Naomi’s dad’s confession. The ghost looks like him, but it’s not him. Cobb, in life, tried to do the right thing before it was too late. I get it, generational haunting and all. But there’s almost too much. 

Some of the pacing and flow of the movie is a bit messy. There is some narration that doesn’t land. 

What I Liked.

The actors are great. I usually don’t love creepy kids, but Dylan (Zachary Golinger) is one of the better ones. He’s realistic and gets just the right amount of screen time. Unfortunately for the end of the movie, I think he’ll probably end up ok in the long run. He seems pretty resilient, but I much prefer that to simpering kids in distress.

Naomi (Italia Ricci) is fun to watch too. She’s a bit caustic and willing to snap back.  The character walks the line between protective mother and person with her own interests and life. She’s not reduced to just worrying about her kid.  

The character actors are pretty great too. I love Cobb’s daughter and wish she got more screen time. She’s a constant red herring and low-key hilarious.

The Themes

This is a movie that sets itself up to be about faith and parenting. The Confession uses the story of the Pied Piper as an analogy for life without faith. Parents are, as they frequently are, a stand-in for God’s role in our lives. A couple of interesting lines about how the current incarnation of organized religion helps sell this point. The mentor-style character basically says that it’s pointless to involve the church because they are too corrupt. Since he doesn’t specify which one, I’ll assume it’s all of them. 

The ending, while logically…odd, is kind of great. It’s a gut punch, but a good one. It also reinforces the real theme of the movie: God may exist, but that doesn’t mean he’s always on your side and that you’re always going to win. Naomi’s almost comedically tragic life also highlights this point. Her husband and father-in-law were killed by a drunk driver coming home from a chemotherapy appointment. This is beyond absurd. Do I think this has never happened in real life? No, it’s totally realistic, but the way it’s presented in the movie is almost laughable. 

This sounds like it’s a negative review, but it’s not. The extreme tragedy of Naomi’s life is supposed to be part of a “rediscovering her faith” arc. She’s supposed to overcome all this darkness to find meaning in it and live on. We get scenes of her dead husband, encouraging her from beyond the grave, to live for her son. But faith is not impenetrable armor, and God does not save everyone from every evil. 

Final Thoughts

The Confession does not have good reviews, and I’m not surprised. I enjoyed it, but the mixed genres, pacing, and ending may put some people off. The theme resonates with me, and while the direction isn’t groundbreaking, it tells the story well. It’s a perfect lazy Sunday morning movie.  You know, for when you spent your Saturday eating too many tacos, and drinking too much tequila, and all you want to do is chill. Watch it then. 

The Confession is available on streaming