Confess, Fletch

This very enjoyable comedic crime mystery is a fresh reinterpretation of Gregory Mcdonald’s Fletch novels, rather than being a reboot of Chevy Chase’s cult 1985 movie. As a result, Jon Hamm is able to find his own take on the character, while the movie itself is a satisfyingly twisty neo-noir mystery in its own right.

Premise: Having been hired by an Italian billionaire to recover his stolen paintings, retired investigative reporter I.M. "Fletch" Fletcher (Jon Hamm) arrives in Boston to discover there’s a dead woman in his rented townhouse and he’s the prime suspect in her murder.

Review:

I’m a huge fan of the private detective subgenre, and although I.M. Fletcher is technically an investigative reporter by profession, Confess, Fletch is for all intents and purposes a private detective movie. For me, what separates the private detective subgenre from whodunit mysteries is that the private detective movies are always told from the perspective of the investigating character (quite often accompanied by a noirish voiceover), whereas in whodunit movies, the investigator is usually a closed book until they come to reveal everything in the final act. Although I love both genres (and we’ve been spoiled in the whodunit genre this year with Death on the Nile, See How They Run and Glass Onion), I do have a real soft spot for private detective movies in particular (the last great one arguably being 2021’s Reminiscence).

I also have a confession of my own to make: I haven’t seen Chevy Chase’s 1985 adaptation of the first of Gregory Mcdonald’s Fletch novels since I was a kid, and I barely remember it now. From what I can remember, the 1985 Fletch movie very much restructured the character from the novels to be a vehicle for Chevy Chase’s own style of comedy, with much of the comedy apparently improvised by Chase in set. The success of that film led to 1989’s Fletch Lives, which wasn’t based on any of Gregory Mcdonald’s novels, and perhaps as a result, is largely considered to be a very disappointing attempt to cash in on the success of the first movie.

“…a genuinely engaging crime mystery with a wry sense of humour & razor-sharp dialogue…”

After that, the character of Fletch was left in limbo for the next 30 or so years, despite several attempts over the intervening decades to reboot the series. Now, with Confess, Fletch, director/co-writer Greg Mottola has returned to the source novels by adapting and updating Gregory Mcdonald’s second Fletch story, rather than attempting to mimic the more overtly comedic tone of the Chevy Chase movies. The result is a genuinely engaging crime mystery with a wry sense of humour and razor-sharp dialogue, rather than an out-and-out comedy.

This shift in tone is encapsulated perfectly by the casting of Jon Hamm. Anyone who’s seen Bridesmaids or any of his various TV cameos will know that Jon Hamm has great comedic timing, and even when he’s not playing comedic characters per se, he still brings a dark sense of humour to his roles in films like Baby Driver and Bad Times at the El Royale. Here, he’s able to combine his talent for comedy (in his snappy one-liners and witty put-downs) with his dramatic chops (in bringing the central crime mystery to life).

“…kept me amused throughout, & the central mystery was satisfyingly convoluted…”

For a relatively low budget movie, Greg Mottola has assembled a great cast around Jon Hamm, with veterans like Kyle MacLachlan and Marcia Gay Harden cameoing alongside relative comedy “new-bloods” like Annie Mumolo and Lucy Punch, and lesser known but equally memorable actors like Lorenza Izzo. But for me, the standout performances among the supporting cast were Roy Wood Jr and Ayden Mayeri as Inspector Monroe and Detective Griz, the two cops investigating the murder for which Fletch is the prime suspect. Those roles could have easily become unmemorable tropes, but instead, they’re responsible for some of the film’s funniest moments.

Ultimately, if you’re a fan of crime mysteries, comedy thrillers, or private detective films, there really is tonnes for you to enjoy in Confess, Fletch. Yes, there are perhaps a few pacing issues in the middle of the film, but that’s arguably inevitable in a film that has to deal with so many red herrings and potential suspects. Overall, the movie kept me amused throughout, and the central mystery was satisfyingly convoluted yet still accessible. Having only received a limited cinematic release before becoming available for streaming, it remains to be seen how profitable this movie will be (I hadn’t seen any advertising for it), but I hope it gets enough attention to earn itself a sequel, as Confess, Fletch shows that there’s still plenty of potential in the character while he’s in Greg Mottola’s and Jon Hamm’s hands.