Rob Lowe and James Franco Can't Save 'Confession' From Itself

Rob Lowe and James Franco are trying their best in Václav Marhoul's new film Confession, but even star power can't fix what's fundamentally sluggish here. The screenplay—penned by Daily Wire's Ben Shapiro—feels more like a stage play that got lost on its way to the screen, all dialogue and deliberate pacing with not much momentum to back it up.

Look, the premise has potential. The performances from Lowe and Franco suggest there's something worth digging into. But Confession gets bogged down in its own talkativeness. It's the kind of movie that mistakes slow for deep, that thinks lingering on a scene equals substance.

The fact that Shapiro's name is front and center will instantly color how some folks approach this. Fair or not, that's the baggage it carries. But setting all that aside, the real issue is simpler: the film just doesn't move. It sits there.

Worth checking out if you're curious, but don't expect it to grab you.

Read the full story at Variety → https://variety.com/2026/film/news/confession-review-1236945904/