If anything is cinematically timely right now, then it has to be movies about terrorism, any kind of terrorism. Writer/director Stefan Schaefer’s first feature film fits the bill by telling a story about a young man’s extremist activities while exacting revenge in the modern video/computer age. Well, maybe CONFESS is not so much a movie as it is a lecture. And maybe it does have its flaws, but it reveals some truth about our present culture and, most importantly, it’s entertaining.

Terell Lessor has changed. At one time a young man who seemed to have everything going for him, such as brains, education, a loving family, and all the ingredients for a happy American dream future, he’s now a down on his luck ex-hacker with a chip on his shoulder. Who’s to blame for his bad luck and sour mood? Well, he figures it’s his ex-business partner, a smug son of a bitch that basically ran Terell out of a potentially hot company venture. Oh, there is also another business associate who didn’t stand up for Terell. In fact, Terell is out to get anyone he feels betrayed him in the past. And if that isn’t enough, Terell is also interested in kidnapping and forcing confessions out of specific fat cats, including both political and big business CEO types. Does Terell succeed in getting even? As a matter of fact, yes. But what happens when his plans not only work but grow bigger and bigger, even spawning off copycat attacks out of his control?

Schaefer applies all the right filmic moves to get his points across about spin doctoring elitists, hidden camera ambush terrorism, and the current state of information and misinformation floating around in cyberspace. He offers a tight script and uses direct video playbacks and rapid fire editing to help create an ambient sense of hi-tech paranoia throughout the film. Fortunately, he doesn’t allow the cinematic gadgetry to overwhelm the acting performances. There are no false notes among any of the performers. At the center is Eugene Byrd, who does a spot on job of fleshing out the lead role. With Terell we have a young man that is passionate about fairness but is quite capable of being sneaky to achieve it. He wants balance in life, as in the good getting what they need and the bad getting what they deserve, but he doesn’t hesitate to commit illegal acts in an effort to right the wrongs he sees in society. Some, if not most, of Terell’s actions are motivated by the sight of his loving mother (played extremely well by Melissa Leo) trying to cope with life after losing her job. Worse yet, it’s how she lost her job. Her prick of a boss callously hosed her and other employees over in the name of greed. Terell manages to get revenge by secretly taping the jerk allowing a pretty, young woman to retain her job by granting him sexual favors. From that point on, Terell uses the same clandestine video methods to bring down other bad people, including those on his own personal hit list.

I’m not certain what the DVD box will look like, since I received a promo DVD in a small jacket, but I noticed that pretty Ali Larter’s face is on the disc. And why not? Although there are a lot of experienced actors present, including the always cool William Sadler, many genre fans are probably most interested in Larter. Not only is she a real looker but she starred in FINAL DESTINATION. Here she plays Olivia Averill, an ambitions grad student working on a dissertation regarding the “hacker culture.” For obvious reasons, she’s excited to meet a hacker genius like Terell, especially when she learns about his other illegal activities. She even serves to push Terell deeper into web video revenge, which causes some severe aftermaths. Larter conveys her character’s zeal in a natural and believable manner. It’s always good to watch any actor grow in talent and that appears to be what’s happening with Larter.

While I like much of Schaefer’s movie and think he, his cast and crew did a professional job putting it all together, there are three drawbacks. First off, as I mentioned earlier, this is a preachy work. I realize the message here does call for some editorializing by Schaefer, but at times it sure seems as if he’s dealing with a lot of stereotypes. I mean, are we to believe that everyone with a fat wallet in corporate America has personal skeletons stashed in the closet? It really seems as if that’s part of the lesson here. I don’t know. I suppose it’s actually kind of true, from what I’ve seen in real life. But even so, it sure does come off a bit overplayed in this picture. Second drawback is Terell’s unrelenting self-pity. I can understand much of his bitterness, but a kid this smart should be able to find success at something somewhere, despite the unfortunate circumstances that knocked the rug out from under his feet in his past. Third drawback is the sometimes expositional dialogue. Often less is best. There are scenes in this film that would be stronger if the characters didn’t talk so much. At least that’s how I see it. Your mileage may differ.

Because a MTI sent a promo DVD, I have no idea what extras will be available on the disc that will be on the store shelves, so I can’t comment on any of that. The picture and sound quality are so-so. Not bad, not great. As for the movie, it’s well-written and directed by Schaefer, plus it’s competently acted by the entire cast. Therefore, I recommend CONFESS to genre fans that enjoy character dramas and indie films.