Based on the bestselling novel of 2008 ‘Kokuhaku’ by Kanae Minato, ‘Confessions’ is a dark, gripping psychological tale that is sure to keep you on your toes. The movie starts off rather slow with Yoko Moriguchi (Takako Matsu), a middle school teacher, delivering a farewell speech to her students, declaring the day to be her last day at school. Her students, however, seem to be less concerned and engage themselves in gossips, arguments, texting and other activities. Moriguchi nonetheless continues with her speech, recounting her past— her affair with a teacher, how he contracted AIDS and passed away, her pregnancy, her decision to live as a single mother, and the tragic death of her dear daughter. It is only when she reveals something shattering that she manages to catch the attention of her students, leaving them gaping and utterly shocked. She tells them that she believes her daughter’s death was not just a mere accident as claimed by the police but rather a murder, and that the murderers are present in the very class among them. What’s more, she notifies them that she had injected HIV tainted blood into the milk that the murderers, her very own students, whom she has labeled as A and B previously drank. And this shocking declaration is enough to send chaos across the class, leaving A and B extremely panicky and terrified. From the very beginning, this movie creates a mystifying atmosphere which gives us, the viewers, the hint of something very big and unpredictable lying ahead. And then as the story unfolds, we are taken to the world of the victims of the revenge and those related to them, and get a clear cut picture of the respective motives which drove A and B to commit something as dreadful as murder. The movie also depicts human emotions such as angst, fear, loneliness, hysteria, pride and horror in a very realistic manner and a very few movies achieve that, we all know. Now coming to the cast, I’m speechless. Takako Matsu just blew me away with her superb acting. She played her role brilliantly, and now it’s difficult for me to imagine some other actress performing in her place as the character ‘Yoko Moriguchi’. I am looking forward to watching more movies starring her. The supporting characters also had done an amazing job. Each of them really got into their respective character. They say what you see depends on what you’re looking for. I was looking for nothing much to begin with but the visuals blew me away. The visuals are what makes this movie effective and dynamic. Watch the movie and you will know what I mean. Speaking of the OST, it is good. It is not something revolutionary but that’s all right. I don’t remember any particular song or music except the one that played in the beginning. All in all, ‘Confessions’ is a brilliant piece of psychological thrill with a tinge of tragedy and drama. You ought to grab this one if you like psychological thrillers, and even if you don’t and want to have a taste of them, you may begin with this one.