Rotten Tomatoes Logo Do you want to see ‘True Confessions’?

True Confessions (1981)

tomatometer

No Score Yet...

Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 4
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 2

audience

52

liked it
Average Rating: 3.2/5
User Ratings: 2,389

My Rating

Movie Info

Adapted by John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion from Dunne's novel, True Confessions uses the still-unsolved "Black Dahlia" murder as the foundation for a devastating attack on big-city corruption -- in which it appears that many of the perpetrators wear clerical collars. In, 1948 Los Angeles detective Tom Spellacy (Robert Duvall) is assigned to investigate the death of a priest, who apparently suffered a heart attack while being serviced by a prostitute. Meanwhile, Tom's brother, young Catholic

R, 1 hr. 48 min.

Mystery & Suspense, Drama

John Gregory Dunne

Apr 17, 2007

MGM

Cast

All Critics (11) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (8) | Rotten (5) | DVD (4)

Two exciting, dangerous actors have little to do: Duvall spends too much time pacing and waiting; De Niro's big scene has him hanging up his vestments.

March 7, 2011 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | Comment
TIME Magazine
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Given the powerhouse topline casting combo and provocative theme, True Confessions has to be chalked up as something of a disappointment.

March 26, 2009 Full Review Source: Variety | Comment
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

True Confessions contains scenes that are just about as good as scenes can be. Then why does the movie leave us disoriented and disappointed, and why does the ending fail dismally?

October 23, 2004 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | Comment
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Quite simply it's one of the most entertaining, most intelligent and most thoroughly satisfying commercial American films in a very long time.

August 30, 2004 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comment
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A fascinating film that exposes the dark underside of the Catholic Church and fixes it firmly in the seedy, corrupt world of film noir.

March 7, 2011 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | Comment
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Acting compensates for disappointing ending

February 2, 2007 Comment

Numerous vital characters are dropped and the case-solving stripped of its complexity, with the resulting film over-linear and one-dimensional.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out | Comment

An atmospheric, always-intriguing mystery that works equally well as a perceptive character study. One of the very best films of the 1980s.

October 21, 2005 Comment
Fantastica Daily

Robert Duvall puts in a top-drawer performance in this crime drama mixing sleuthing and sacraments, crime and confession - one of the best films of 1981.

January 30, 2002 Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | Comment
Spirituality and Practice
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for True Confessions

With all the talent in front of the camera there is no way this should be as inert as it is. Visually impressive drama is not terrible but lumbers along to an indifferent conclusion. Watch L.A. Confidental, which presents a simiilar story in a superior manner, instead.

November 14, 2009
jjnxn
jay nixon

Super Reviewer

its a watchable film

February 7, 2009
FiLmCrAzY
Film Crazy

Super Reviewer

True Confessions Quotes

No quotes approved yet for True Confessions. Logged in users can submit quotes.

Latest News for True Confessions

What's Hot On RT

Critics Consensus
Critics Consensus

Journey 2 Not Worth the Trip

Luis Guzman
Luis Guzman

What are his 10 best movies ever?

<em>Amazing Spider-Man</em>
Amazing Spider-Man

See the all-new action-packed trailer!

The Avengers!
The Avengers!

Five new Marvelous pictures

Top Movie Quizzes

LEGO Mania: 2011 Best Picture Nominees
by natalie - 18,576 taken
created 12 months ago
How Much Do You Know About Leonardo DiCaprio?
by natalie - 44,481 taken
created 15 months ago
Pixar Movies!
by jdikwlzviv - 27,179 taken
created 15 months ago
The Wizards of Harry Potter
by jdikwlzviv - 27,675 taken
created 15 months ago

Foreign Titles

  • Sanglantes confessions (FR)
  • Confesiones verdaderas (ES)
Help | About | Jobs | Newsletter | Critics Submission | API | Licensing | Blog | Developers | Mobile