''Confess, Fletch'' is a 2022 American

crime comedy film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as drama or gangster film, but als ...

directed by

Greg Mottola Gregory J. Mottola (born July 11, 1964) is an American film director, screenwriter and television director. Early life and education Mottola grew up in Dix Hills, New York, in a Catholic family of Italian and Irish descent. He received his BFA ...

, who co-wrote the screenplay with Zev Borow. Based on

Gregory Mcdonald Gregory Mcdonald (February 15, 1937 – September 7, 2008) was an American writer best known for his mystery adventures featuring investigative reporter Irwin Maurice "Fletch" Fletcher. Two of the Fletch books earned Edgar Awards from the Myste ...

's 1976 novel of the same name, it stars

Jon Hamm Jonathan Daniel Hamm (born March 10, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Don Draper in the period drama series '' Mad Men'' (2007–2015), for which he won numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and tw ...

Roy Wood Jr. Roy Norris Wood Jr.Stated on ''Finding Your Roots'', May 4, 2021 (born December 11, 1978) is an American stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian and actor who first became well known for his correspondent appearances on ''The Daily Show''. Wood has b ...

Annie Mumolo Annie Mumolo (born July 10, 1973) is an American screenwriter, actress, comedian, and producer. She is best known for co-writing the comedy film ''Bridesmaids'' with Kristen Wiig, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA for ...

Ayden Mayeri Ayden Mayeri (born October 1, 1990) is an Iranian-American actress, comedian, and writer, known for her work in both television and film. On television, she had a recurring role in ''Homecoming'' (2018) and starred in the Peacock comedy '' Mr. ...

Lorenza Izzo Lorenza Francesca Izzo Parsons (; ; born September 19, 1989) is a Chilean actress and model. She has appeared in films, including ''Aftershock'' (2012), '' The Green Inferno'' (2013), '' Knock Knock'' (2015), and Quentin Tarantino's ''Once Upo ...

Kyle MacLachlan Kyle Merritt MacLachlan ( ; ' McLachlan, February 22, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for his Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning role as Dale Cooper in ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, 2017) and its film prequel '' Twin Peaks: Fire ...

, and

Marcia Gay Harden Marcia Gay Harden (born August 14, 1959) is an American actress. Her accolades include an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and nominations for four Primetime Emmy Awards. Harden's breakthrough came in 1990 with the Coen brothers' film '' Miller's ...

. It is the third installment in the ''Fletch'' series, following '' Fletch'' (1985) and ''

Fletch Lives ''Fletch Lives'' is a 1989 American comedy mystery film starring Chevy Chase and the sequel to '' Fletch'' (1985), directed by Michael Ritchie from a screenplay by Leon Capetanos, and based on the character created by Gregory Mcdonald. Plot ...

'' (1989), and the first not to star

Chevy Chase Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He became the breakout cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1976), where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment b ...

. ''Confess, Fletch'' was released in the United States in select theaters and on

premium video on demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos, television shows and films digitally on request. These multimedia are accessed without a traditional video playback device and a typical static broadcasting ...

on September 16, 2022, before a

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

premiere on October 28, 2022. It received generally positive reviews.

Plot

Freelance writer and former investigative journalist Irwin Maurice "Fletch" Fletcher is hired by a billionaire Italian count to investigate the whereabouts of his missing art collection. Fletch soon has a first lead; Boston art dealer Ronald Horan has sold two of the paintings. In Rome, Fletch meets Angela, the attractive daughter of his client, and a love affair develops between the two. Angela then receives news from the police that her father has apparently been kidnapped by organized criminals who are demanding a Picasso from the missing collection as ransom. As Fletch arrives in a short-term rented townhouse in Boston, he finds a dead woman, subsequently identified as barista Laurel Goodwin. Despite reporting the crime to the police, Fletch becomes the prime suspect in the murder. Sergeant Inspector Monroe and Junior Detective Griz of the

Boston Police Department The Boston Police Department (BPD) is the primary law enforcement agency of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1854, the BPD is the oldest municipal police department in the United States. It is also the 20th largest law enforce ...

begin tailing him, which he thwarts numerous times to continue his investigation without interference. Fletch meets Horan under a false identity in an attempt to buy the stolen Picasso. He learns from his neighbor Eve that Owen, the townhouse owner, has a history of violence and drug abuse and an estranged spouse named Tatiana, who used to be his business partner. Fletch meets with Tatiana, again using a false identity, and adds her to his growing suspect list. Meanwhile, the Countess, Angela's stepmother, invites herself to stay with Fletch. Fletch gains entry to Horan's yacht at a country club and retrieves several paintings, including the Picasso. Angela arrives in Boston, suspecting that the Countess kidnapped the Count, but initially maintains a friendly facade. At dinner that night, Fletch, the Countess, and Angela are visited by Owen, Tatiana, and Eve. Laurel's boyfriend arrives inebriated with the intention to avenge Laurel by killing Fletch, but he is overpowered and consoled in his grief. Angela, who has been exposed as a friend of Owen, abruptly leaves. Fletch follows her to Horan's house then to his yacht, where he confronts her, assuming that she stole the paintings and used Owen to smuggle them to Horan for sale. However, Horan reveals that he killed Laurel and framed Fletch to thwart his investigation. He then planned to deceive Angela and pay his debts by selling the Count's art collection. Horan attempts to kill Fletch but is shot dead by Griz. The Count, who had faked his kidnapping with the help of Fletch in order to test his wife and daughter's love, arrives and persuades Fletch to keep the paintings. From an undisclosed location in Central America, Fletch sends paintings to the Countess, Eve, his previous boss, and two street artists, and a large check to Laurel's boyfriend and her family.

Cast

Production

Following the release of '' Fletch'' (1985) and ''

'' (1989) starring

, attempts to reboot the series based on the

novels frequently became mired in

development hell Development hell, also known as development purgatory or development limbo, is media and software industry jargon for a project, concept, or idea that remains in a stage of early development for a long time because of legal, technical, or artistic ...

. Names such as

Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. He came to prominence with the low-budget buddy comedy film ''Clerks (film), Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, co-produced, and acted i ...

and

Jason Lee Jason Michael Lee (born April 25, 1970) is an American actor, filmmaker, photographer and former professional skateboarder. He is known for playing Earl Hickey in the television comedy series ''My Name Is Earl'', for which he was nominated for ...

, Bill Lawrence and

Zach Braff Zachary Israel Braff (born April 6, 1975) is an American actor and filmmaker. He portrayed J.D. (Scrubs), John Michael "J.D." Dorian on the NBC/American Broadcasting Company, ABC television series ''Scrubs (TV series), Scrubs'' (2001–2010), for ...

, and

Jason Sudeikis Daniel Jason Sudeikis ( ; born September 18, 1975) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. In the 1990s, he began his career in improv comedy and performed with ComedySportz, iO Chicago (Improv Olympic), and The Second City. I ...

were previously attached to the property. According to director

, screenwriter Zev Borow was first brought on to pen a film adaptation of ''Confess, Fletch'' from the ''Fletch'' series of books. Later,

approached Mottola with interest in a Fletch film, noting that

Miramax Miramax, LLC, formerly known as Miramax Films, is an American independent film and television production and distribution company owned by beIN Media Group and Paramount Global. Based in Los Angeles, California, it was founded on December 19, ...

had the rights to all of the novels apart from the first one. Following this, Mottola took over Borow's script, adding more elements from the book and shifting its focus from

slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such as ...

similar to Chase's films to more verbal comedy. Though

Bill Block William Hunt Block (born April 2, 1954) is an American film producer who was CEO of Miramax from April 2017 to October 2023. His producing credits include '' W.'' (2008), ''District 9'' (2009), '' Fury'' (2014), '' Bad Moms'' (2016), '' Dirty Gran ...

, CEO of Miramax at the time, was an ardent supporter of the project and allowed Mottola full creative freedom, he could only fully finance the film for up to 27 days of shooting. More financial partners were sought, however all of them passed on the project. Eventually, Hamm and Mottola decided to return portions of their salaries to the production budget, with the former reportedly contributing 60% of his initial income. In July 2020, it was reported that Hamm would star in and produce an adaptation of the Mcdonald novel ''Confess, Fletch'' directed by Mottola. In June 2021,

, and

John Slattery John M. Slattery Jr. (born August 13, 1962) is an American actor and director. He is known for his role as Roger Sterling in the AMC drama series ''Mad Men'' (2007–15), for which he was nominated 4 times for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outsta ...

joined the cast. The following month,

, and

were added to the cast.

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

began in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

on June 28, 2021. In early July, scenes were filmed in

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the list of United States cities by population, 113th most populous city in the United States. Named after Worcester ...

, outside the local police department. Hamm and Mottola's contributions allowed for three more shooting days in addition to the 27-day shooting schedule, totalling to 30 days in Boston and one in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

Art works

Paul Klee Paul Klee (; 18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was a Swiss-born German artist. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. Klee was a natural draftsman who experimented wi ...

, ''

Senecio ''Senecio'' is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family (Asteraceae) that includes ragworts and groundsels. Variously circumscribed taxonomically, the genus ''Senecio'' is one of the largest genera of flowering plants. Description Mo ...

'', 1922 *

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

''Diamond Dust Shoes'' (F. & S. II.253) 1980 *

Robert Delaunay Robert Delaunay (; 12 April 1885 – 25 October 1941) was a French artist of the School of Paris movement; who, with his wife Sonia Delaunay and others, co-founded the Orphism (art), Orphism art movement, noted for its use of strong colours and g ...

, ''Circular Forms'', 1930 *

Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, ; ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of Impressionism painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During his ...

, ''The Green Wave''. ca. 1867. *

El Greco Doménikos Theotokópoulos (, ; 1 October 1541 7 April 1614), most widely known as El Greco (; "The Greek"), was a Greek painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance, regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time. ...

, '' Saint Jerome as Scholar'' (ca. 1610) *

Edvard Munch Edvard Munch ( ; ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter. His 1893 work ''The Scream'' has become one of Western art's most acclaimed images. His childhood was overshadowed by illness, bereavement and the dread of inher ...

, ''The Mystery of a Summer Night'', 1892 *

Amedeo Modigliani Amedeo Clemente Modigliani (; ; 12 July 1884 – 24 January 1920) was an Italian painter and sculptor of the École de Paris who worked mainly in France. He is known for portraits and nudes in a modern art, modern style characterized by a surre ...

, ''Girl in a Sailor's Blouse'' 1918 *

Pablo Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...

''Portrait of a woman'' (Olga) 1923

Reception

Cancelled sequel

Shortly after the film's release, Mottola said he had been hired to write a sequel based on the 1978 novel ''Fletch's Fortune'', but said he was "not sure" if it would be produced. In August 2024, Mottola said that the sequel was no longer in development, with the director attributing the setback to a change of leadership at Miramax and the film underperforming at the box office.

References

External links

* at

* {{Greg Mottola 2020s American films 2020s comedy mystery films 2020s English-language films 2022 crime comedy films 2022 films American comedy mystery films American crime comedy films American murder mystery films English-language comedy mystery films English-language crime comedy films fictional portrayals of the Boston Police Department films based on American novels films based on mystery novels films directed by Greg Mottola Films produced by Bill Block films scored by David Arnold films set in Boston films set in Rome films shot in Boston Miramax films Paramount Pictures films