Confess, Fletch (2022)

September 19, 2022 3:26 PM

After 33 years, Fletch gets a reboot, now 100% less Chevy Chase. Jon Hamm takes on the lead role with support from Roy Wood, Jr., Kyle MacLachlan, Marcia Gay Harden and John Slattery. Directed by Greg Mottola (Superbad).

After becoming the prime suspect in multiple murders, Fletch strives to prove his innocence while simultaneously searching for his fiancée’s stolen art collection.

posted by wabbittwax (16 comments total)

I enjoyed the original Fletch, back in the day, despite my hint of snark above. Not so much Fletch Lives, which was embarrassing for all concerned. But I think it’s more than fair to say that Jon Hamm’s Fletch is a much better character and Confess, Fletch Is a better movie. All around, it’s a good time.
posted by wabbittwax at 3:30 PM on September 19, 2022 [3 favorites]

This movie has the best Sega Genesis joke I expect I'll hear all year.
posted by Servo5678 at 7:12 AM on September 20, 2022 [1 favorite]

I love the Fletch books. I had fun at the first Fletch movie fully aware it was mostly a Chevy Chase vehicle & not entirely faithful to the book. I am looking forward to seeing this one, though I don't see how Jon Hamm fits the part.

I never thought I would ever say this about him, but I would cast Owen Wilson. [Unless the Spicoli-era Sean Penn were available...]
posted by chavenet at 11:56 AM on September 20, 2022 [1 favorite]

Wasn't this a passion project of Kevin Smith's at some point?
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 1:43 PM on September 20, 2022

Kevin Smith wanted to do a Fletch movie with Jason Lee in the role. I think maybe the idea was to still have Chevy in the movie as like a mentor, and the working title was Son of Fletch. He met with Chevy and found him unbearable and I think the project ran out of steam after that. Jon Hamm’s been trying to make this happen for a while.
posted by wabbittwax at 1:54 PM on September 20, 2022

I didn't really know what to expect, but liked this a lot: some of the dialogue reminded me of The Philadelphia Story or Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and Jon Hamm takes a very nice laid back, smart-but-mostly-lucky approach to Fletch that entirely drops Chase's snark and sass in favor of a worn, world-weary charm.

There were a couple of odd lighting choices, and the location switches don't really work (the poster and trailer really emphasize Rome, but almost none of the plot takes place there). But the cast is solid (Kyle MacLachlan and Marcia Gay Harden are a hoot): overall, the film is wonderfully charming.
posted by Bora Horza Gobuchul at 2:33 PM on September 20, 2022

I didn't know this movie was happening until I saw this thread. Has there been any marketing at all?
posted by RakDaddy at 4:04 PM on September 20, 2022 [2 favorites]

NO. What's weird is that I swear if this were a TV show, everyone I know would be all over it! I honestly feel like they dropped the ball by not making it a TV show.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 5:29 PM on September 20, 2022

This was fun, and I’d like to see a whole series of these. The overly-complicated but basically low stakes vibes feel just right now.
posted by jeoc at 5:44 AM on September 23, 2022

This hit my radar because there was zero marketing. It ended up on Twitter trending because "wtf is wrong with the marketing team here?!"

I put it on my queue immediately, and I enjoyed it.
posted by Pronoiac at 12:00 AM on October 11, 2022

...He met with Chevy and found him unbearable and I think the project ran out of steam after that.

Spoiler Alert:

Ya Fuckin Think‽‽‽
posted by y2karl at 10:51 AM on October 18, 2022

I couldn't watch SNL for the first two years because of Chevy Chase.

But then they replaced him with Bill Murray and look how that worked out. And get this -- Lorne Michaels has perma-banned many people from SNL but Bill Murray is not one of them. It's like assholes all the way down.

posted by y2karl at 11:49 AM on October 18, 2022

Just watched this on Showtime and loved it. I want more Hamm as Fletch, but there's probably more of a chance that I'd take a scooter ride through Rome with my hot Italian girlfriend than there is that he'll get to make another one.

Rolling Stone on the lack of marketing for this film: Yes, There’s a Wonderful New ‘Fletch’ Movie Starring Jon Hamm. Not That You’d Know It Exists
posted by Stanczyk at 4:45 AM on October 30, 2022 [1 favorite]

We watched this a few nights ago and immediately became evangelists for it. Easily one of the funniest new movies we've watched in ages, and it was the perfect level of froth-vs-serious. I don't say this lightly: Jon Hamm might be the closest thing we have right now to Cary Grant.

It's streaming on Showtime right now, which isn't the most common app. But if you are on the fence about watching this I highly recommend it.
posted by thecaddy at 11:27 AM on November 21, 2022

Jon Hamm's small facial expressions just kill me, always. It'd be hard to pick a favorite but the disbelief blink is up there.

I watch his face and feel like I can read his mind and that he's always thinking something subtle but hilarious.
posted by iamkimiam at 3:46 PM on December 15, 2022

Billed as 'a delightful comedy ' on Prime, which much like family and big hearted acts as a synonym for unfunny in that context.

The only interesting thing here was that Kyle MacLachlan is on his way to becoming Robert Vaughan.
posted by biffa at 11:11 AM on February 9, 2023