Confessions (2010 film)

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
“Even if you might be protected legally, I will never forgive you.”
—Yuko Moriguchi

Confessions is a 2010 Japanese thriller/mystery/horror film based on the novel of the same name. It is directed by Tetsuya Nakashima and stars Takako Matsu.

Yuko Moriguchi is a middle school teacher in charge of a class of rowdy students. They drink milk as she talks. After declaring her resignation toward the class, she then reveals her suspicion of two students for murdering her 4-year-old daughter Manami. It also turns out that she has hatched an elaborate revenge plan to punish the murderers, due to juvenile law protecting them from legal persecution. Therefore, she tainted their milk cartons with HIV infected blood. It Gets Worse.

The film is rife with controversy. Not intended for the young or squeamish, Confessions shows how delicate life is, the ironies of poetic justice, AIDS, parental problems, and many more. Viewers are cautioned for the copious amount of gore and blood in this work.

It won many film awards, including the Japan Academy Prize, the Blue Ribbon Award, Asian Film Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards. It is also Japan's official entry for the 2011 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film.

Not to be confused with any of the other works titled Confession or Confessions.

Tropes used in Confessions (2010 film) include:


  • An Aesop
  • Anyone Can Die: Manami, Naoki's mother, Mizuki, and Shuya's mother.
  • The Chessmaster: Yuko Moriguchi.
  • Crapsack World: In this film, the classroom is an allegory of it.
  • Despair Event Horizon: Yuko Moriguchi.
    • Also Shuya by the end.
  • Did Not Do the Research: It is impossible for AIDS to be transmitted through tainted milk. Of course, that wasn’t really the intention. Justified because Yuko just wants to scare the crap out of everyone.
  • The Disease That Shall Not Be Named: AIDS.
  • Dissonant Serenity
  • Downer Ending: In Yuko Moriguchi’s eyes, it is a Bittersweet Ending. Just kidding.
  • Doting Parent: Deconstructed when Naoki’s mother does not want to believe that Naoki murdered Manami. When Naoki's mother finally comes to her senses, she tries to kill Naoki and commit suicide.
  • Driven to Suicide
  • Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Shuya Watanabe
  • Escapism: To rid themselves of their personal horrors, the students often mistreat the murderers.
  • "Falling in Love" Montage: Shuya and Mizuki have what appears to be a very sweet one, all things considered. Then we find out it meant nothing to Shuya.
  • Freak-Out: Naoki has one after thinking he has AIDS. Shuya also has one at the very end when his mother is killed.
  • Freudian Excuse:
    • Yuko Moriguchi wanted to avenge her daughter’s death (after she also lost the man she loved).
    • Naoki Shimomura just wants to show Shuya he is not pathetic, as Shuya was the first person to take notice of him.
    • Shuya Watanabe wants his “achievements” to be seen and appreciated by his mother.
  • The Film of the Book
  • Fun with Acronyms: In romaji, the "motivational" poster sent to Naoki reads K.I.L.L.E.R.
  • Gang of Bullies: The murderers are bullied with a point-ranking system.
  • Gotta Kill Them All: Yuko Moriguchi and the two murderers.
  • Gorn
  • Grey and Gray Morality: The film challenges the viewers whether it is right to sympathize with Yuko Moriguchi, the murderers, the murderers’ friends, and the other students.
  • Harmless Electrocution: Subverted. It turns out that Yuko’s daughter didn’t die from electrocution. However she was knocked unconscious and unable to save herself from drowning.
  • Happy Dance: The new teacher likes the students to dance.
  • Humans Are the Real Monsters: One of the film’s main themes.
  • In Medias Res: As each character's viewpoints are given, more info about their pasts and other events that led to the story are expanded upon.
  • In the Blood: Shuya’s mother told him that he would be a genius like her. Shame he's also psychotic.
  • Ironic Echo: "Just kidding."
  • It's Personal: Yuko Moriguchi’s attitudes toward the two murderers.
  • Kids Are Cruel: Jesus Christ, they're monsters! The two students who murder a four-year-old are just the beginning.
  • Lonely Together: Two students start a relationship because the're both bullied by everyone else.
  • Love Martyr: Mizuki Kitahara, for Shuya.
  • Mad Bomber: At the end, Shuya plants a home-made bomb to kill himself and the other students.
  • Misplaced Kindergarten Teacher: Deconstructed. The new teacher actually makes the situation even worse. He is misguided by Yuko.
  • Mommy Issues: Shuya Watanabe.
  • Oedipus Complex: Shuya toward his mother. He takes this so seriously that it’s not even funny.
  • Parental Abandonment: Shuya’s mother left him. Thus, his obsession ensued.
  • Parental Issues: A major theme of the work.
  • Poisonous Friend: Shuya befriended Naoki before convincing him to help murder someone.
  • Psychological Thriller
  • Psycho Supporter: Mizuki thinks of a teenage girl who famously poisoned her entire family as her "other self".
  • Sadist Teacher: Yuko Moriguchi, although only after her daughter dies.
  • Save Our Students: Deconstructed. Yuko’s utter disgust at the students not appreciating life leads her to this revenge plan.
  • Self-Made Orphan: Shuya Watanabe, apparently. Though that’s not really the case.
  • Stuffed Into the Fridge: After Shuya murders her, Mizuki is dismembered and hidden inside a fridge.
  • Teen Genius: Shuya. However he doesn't feel appreciated.
  • Texting: In the beginning of the film, the movie cuts to scenes of cell phone users texting to reveal clues about the plot.
  • Revenge: The premise of the film.
  • Who's Laughing Now?: All of the main characters at some point.
  • Would Hurt a Child: The murderers, especially when one of them knew Manami was actually still alive before tossing her into the swimming pool. Doesn't help that they're practically kids themselves.
  • Xanatos Roulette: Yuko Moriguchi planned most of it even if she may not have researched properly. She knew that even if she succeeded in tainting the milk with HIV blood, it does not give people AIDS. However, the paranoia can lead the students into chaos. The most triumphant example is in the end when she predicted one of the murderers would set up the bomb to destroy the whole school. It also happens that the guy has an Oedipus complex. She planted the bomb in his mother’s office. The guy phoned and killed his mother unwittingly.
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