Writer/director Bob Freville‘s Confessions in Static isn’t a typical found footage film. It has a non-linear and experimental structure, as well as multiple narratives that piece together a larger story about a group of friends. It also questions the group’s ethics while tackling issues such as true crime’s massive fanbases and the culture’s obsession with all things macabre and grisly. There are some interesting themes at play here, but the execution doesn’t quite land and at times, feels quite tedious.
The film opens with off-screen detectives interrogating the friends. The ringleader is Jason (Scott Dowd), a real jerk. To say he’s full of himself is an understatement. There’s also Al (Matt Tanzosh), Lisa (Mackenzie Keyes), the only female in the group, and Danny (Jimmy Donohue). Throughout the years, at least since their undergraduate days, Danny has filmed the friend group and has long pined for Jason’s affection and approval, though it’s unclear why since Jason isn’t compassionate or exactly a good friend. Throughout the runtime, the narrative shifts between the interrogations and Danny’s footage.
After the friends reunite for a funeral, they decide to visit the Decker house on Long Island, infamous for a heinous murder. Now in their 30s, the group decides to prank younger paranormal podcasters who don’t quite understand the house’s sordid history, nor respect it. The reasons why the group want to do this come into focus fairly late in the film, as the pieces slowly gel together. The film also includes footage from the podcasters to flesh out their narrative as well.
There’s a lot going on in this film, not only the competing narratives, but also the ideas this feature tackles. In fact, at times it feels like too much. There’s only so much discussion about ethics and morality a viewer can take before it becomes a little too exhausting and feels more like an Intro to Philosophy course than an entertaining found footage flick. The constant jump between narratives doesn’t always work either and may lose a viewer. This feature collapses under its own weight.
There are some textured and interesting performances here, though. Keyes gives her character nuance, especially when the detectives ask her question after question. Dowd is great at playing an egocentric character, while Donohue has a moving sequence quite late in the runtime. He showcases just how much his character desperately wants Jason’s approval. The other characters, however, especially the podcasters, fade into the background, swallowed by the multiple narratives at play.
Confessions in Static toys with some really big ideas. It also poses some interesting questions about the true crime obsession and the space it occupies within broader culture. Yet, the constant discussions about morality and ethics grow stale. I respect the film’s experimentation and some of its concepts, but too much about this film feels like a college-level philosophy class more than anything else.
