THE CONFESSION – A Slow Burn Horror with a Powerful Payoff
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Drama
Directed by: Will Canon
Starring: Italia Ricci, Scott Mechlowicz, Zachary Golinger, Terence Rosemore
Release Date: April 30, 2025
Platform: TBD (Premiered at the Dallas International Film Festival)
Rating: 3.5/5
By Crystal Justine
“A small gem worth seeking out.”
New horror thriller, THE CONFESSION, written and directed by Will Canon, recently screened at the Dallas International Film Festival. A thoughtful, slow burn with a very satisfying payoff. A film that does well at balancing the eerie atmosphere with more emotional storytelling, even if the pacing occasionally threatens to derail the experience.
Italia Ricci leads the film with a strong performance as a struggling rock musician who returns to her childhood home nearly a decade after the death of her authoritarian preacher father. While settling back into the haunted remnants of her past, she stumbles upon a chilling voice recording of her late father’s taped confession to a murder, supposedly committed in the name of protecting others from a nameless evil force. As her young son begins exhibiting increasingly strange behavior, she is forced to uncover the unsettling secrets buried deep within her hometown and confront the evil closing in on her family.
Ricci delivers a convincing and layered portrayal of a woman grappling with both personal demons and literal ones. Aside from one early scene involving a somewhat off-key reaction while listening to the confession, Ricci holds the emotional and horror elements of the story with steady hands, particularly as the tension ramps up in the final act.
Terence Rosemore also deserves credit for a memorable supporting role, delivering a character whose humor stems from how deadly serious he is about the evil forces at hand and the sharp contrast of his casual attire. His unwavering belief in the religious and supernatural gives his scenes an unsettling weight, while the visual irony of his appearance adds an unexpected levity. Rosemore’s performance keeps the audience slightly off-balance, deepening the film’s uneasy atmosphere without ever undermining the tension.
In terms of atmosphere, THE CONFESSION succeeds. The set design, filled with aging Southern textures, helps build a constant sense of unease. The film’s mood feels lived-in and haunted, even when the horror elements pull back in favor of the drama. Some of the CGI effects do likely suffer from budgetary constraints, and a few of the scarier moments in the first half lose their punch as the story leans harder into emotional revelations as the story progresses. Still, when the pieces finally come together, they form a cohesive and satisfying conclusion that retroactively strengthens the overall experience.
If there’s a major criticism, it’s the film’s sometimes inconsistent pacing. Certain stretches in the first and second acts drag under the weight of exposition, but by the time THE CONFESSION hits its final moments, Canon makes it clear why the buildup was necessary. It is apparent that the story itself in some way feels personal to Canon, as the ensemble of characters has an underlying theme of abandonment and the relationship between parent and child feels important. Deeper connections like these give even a horror story more heart and appeal.
THE CONFESSION won’t be for everyone, like the gore-hounds and adrenaline-junkies looking for high-octane horror. This film is more subdued, almost leaning into the realm of folk-horror. For audiences willing to invest in a methodically unfolding story and those who appreciate horror that leans more into existential dread than body counts, this is a small gem worth seeking out. It may not terrify you into sleeping with the lights on, but it will leave you thinking when the end sticks the landing.
