CONFESSION (2022) Reviews and overview of crime thriller

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‘One church. One priest. One deadly night’
Confession is a thriller about a wounded criminal who takes a priest hostage, determined to confess to a past misdemeanour before it’s too late.

Written and directed by David Beton (The Hatton Garden Job; I Am Soldier; Tower Block). Produced by Jeet Thakrar and Lucinda Rhodes Thakrar. Executive produced by Elizabeth Williams

The British Picture Perfect production stars Colm Meaney (Unwelcome; The Secrets of Emily Blair; Caved In), Stephen Moyer (Krays: Code of Silence; Devil’s Knot; The Barrens; Priest), Clare-Hope Ashitey (Children of Men), Kris Johnson and Sadie Jean Shirley.

Reviews:
“The story gets ridiculous towards the end, as it tries to shoe-horn in a big finale into the church setting. It’s beyond unbelievable what happens, it’s just downright stupid […] The characters are interesting and there are some solid performances from the cast. It just could have been so much better.” Ashley Manning

“Beton draws the audience in not only with his dialogue, but with the choice of the secluded setting where anything could happen and the twists and turns that the script takes will keep the audience gripped […] Confession has things that the audience may never see coming. Besides a little too much exposition, it makes for an intensive watch.” Battle Royale with Cheese

” Stephen Moyer is phenomenal in the role of Victor Strong, and so is Colm Meaney as Father Peter. Honestly, they are two of the best performances I’ve seen so far in the year. But as terrific as they are, they don’t really get a whole lot to do except for get into some loud arguments with each other. It’s a shame because the film is loaded with a bunch of highly talented actors…” Caillou Pettis Movie Reviews

“Creating an original story from such a small cast and single setting was always going to be difficult. But the late introduction of some new information and more minor characters ends the movie on a limp twist, rather than the bang that was intended.” Common Sense Media

“Despite all three leads pulling their weight, the scenes only build up tepid dramatic heat and offer no real Rashomon-style perspective shifts. Father Peter has his own story, feeding into the theme of failed fathers and setting up an effective final twist. For all the rueful mood Beton tries to nurture, there’s something inert about Confession.” The Guardian

“Beton eventually does add a couple new faces and a weak flash of action at the finale, but by then the tension built early on has been wasted. Much like a troubled mark facing dwindling options and a ticking clock, Confession just ends up saying too much.” Maddwolf

” …Confession is really a film that makes the most out of its limitations, as it manages to tell a tense story from beginning to end, with many unexpected twists and turns, and one that’s really carried by its leads, who all give very strong performances, of course also supported by a very fluid direction that gets the most out of the limited sets…” Search My Trash

“What we get is a lot of dialogue, loaded with twists and revelations as the night wears on. Some of these are shocking, some are mundane and a couple made me want to roll my eyes. For the most part, Beton keeps it interesting, but there are moments where he seems to have written himself into a corner and has to stretch the viewer’s suspension of disbelief to get out of it.” Voices from the Balcony

Choice dialogue:
Father Peter [Colm Meaney]: “We are all sinners.”

Release date:
In the USA, Uncork’d Entertainment released Confession theatrically on January 21st 2022 with an On-Demand release on January 25th.

Confession is a very suspenseful, thrilling ride with terrific performances from two always-dependable performers, Moyer and Meany,” said Keith Leopard, President Uncork’d Entertainment. “It’s an incredible film to kick off our exciting 2022 slate”.

Cast and characters:
Colm Meaney … Father Peter
Stephen Moyer … Victor Strong
Clare-Hope Ashitey … Willow
Kris Johnson … Jude
Sadie Jean Shirley … Madison

Filming locations:
Debenham, Stowmarket, England

Trailer:

MOVIES and MANIA says:

Confession is fascinating for its strong performances and claustrophobic ecclesiastical setting. Unfortunately, the fake American accents kill this as realistic drama. The filmmakers should have shown as much guts as their protagonists and set this in the US with American actors or the UK with no pretence. 

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