The Confessional

Original title: House of Mortal Sin

1976
R
1h 44m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

The story follows a young woman, who seeks out his church. There, she is manipulated into giving confession to Father Xavier Meldrum. Meldrum uses his status and crazed persistence to work h... Read allThe story follows a young woman, who seeks out his church. There, she is manipulated into giving confession to Father Xavier Meldrum. Meldrum uses his status and crazed persistence to work his way into Jenny's life by any means necessary.The story follows a young woman, who seeks out his church. There, she is manipulated into giving confession to Father Xavier Meldrum. Meldrum uses his status and crazed persistence to work his way into Jenny's life by any means necessary.

Director
- Pete Walker
Writers
- David McGillivray
- Pete Walker
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

1.3K

YOUR RATING

Director
- Pete Walker
Writers
- David McGillivray
- Pete Walker
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 nomination

Photos65

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Originally Peter Cushing was offered to play Father Xavier Meldrum and at the time there were some rumours that Cushing hated the script. In 1983, when Cushing acted in Walker's final film, The House of Long Shadows, Walker learned that Cushing actually liked the script, but had other film commitments.

Goofs
When Jenny is listening to records, the song that is playing is Joan Armatrading's "Visionary Mountains". The record that is playing is from RSO, a record company that never published Armatrading.

Quotes
Miss Brabazon: [to Meldrum's infirm mother] He's gone out again, I'm afraid... you're all alone again... with me.

Connections
Featured in Courting Controversy (2005)

User reviews33

Review

Featured review

"Let Me Show You The Way To True Happiness!"...

In Director Pete Walker's HOUSE OF MORTAL SIN (aka: THE CONFESSIONAL), Jenny (Susan Penhaligon) goes through a bitter breakup with her boyfriend. After running into an old friend who has become a Priest (Norman Eshley), Jenny seeks him out at the church, only to enter the confessional of another, rather creepy Priest (Anthony Sharp).

This turns out to be a very big mistake.

Mr. Sharp has really captured the mix of religious zealotry and psychopathy in Father Meldrum. Everyone just writes him off as a crackpot, not realizing how dangerous he really is. The always-dependable Sheila Keith is on board as Meldrum's sinister cohort.

This is a fantastic horror film, rivaling Mr. Walker's own FRIGHTMARE, which also features a shocking, truly wicked final act...