Ten years after Lifetime’s thriller Bad Sister (2015) left viewers unnerved by its tale of obsession cloaked in religion, a fictional sequel—Bad Sister: Confession—brings back the haunting echoes of the past in a darker, more psychologically complex continuation.
The original followed Zoe, a high school student targeted by “Sister Sophia,” a manipulative imposter who infiltrated a Catholic school under false religious pretense to stalk Zoe’s brother, Jason. The film ended in violence, with Sister Sophia seemingly gone for good—but not forgotten.
In Confession, the story picks up nearly a decade later. Jason, now a newly ordained priest, returns to the very convent that once harbored danger. Struggling with guilt and a fractured family, he’s assigned to oversee a Catholic girls’ school in rural Illinois. Everything seems serene—until a mysterious young nun named Sister Grace arrives. Kind, quiet, and eerily familiar, she seems to know more about Jason than she should.
At first, the film plays with ambiguity—is Sister Grace another obsessed stalker, a victim of Sophia's legacy, or perhaps something even more twisted? As students begin to disappear and secrets from the past resurface, Jason must confront the question that has haunted him for years: Did Sophia really die?
Directed by indie filmmaker Elise Hartmann, Confession leans into psychological horror more than the teen-thriller tone of its predecessor. The pacing is slower but more atmospheric, drenched in candlelight, confessional booths, and a constant feeling of spiritual dread. Unlike the original, which relied on overt manipulation and stalker tropes, this sequel plays mind games—using theology, guilt, and trauma as tools for suspense.
What elevates Confession is its use of religious symbolism. The title isn’t just about a sacrament—it reflects buried truths, repressed memories, and the blurred line between redemption and revenge. Jason’s crisis of faith becomes the emotional center of the film, and while some dialogue edges into melodrama, it ultimately gives the character surprising depth.
Newcomer Emily Maren as Sister Grace delivers a restrained yet unsettling performance—never fully revealing her intentions until the final moments.
While it may not have the shock factor of the original, Bad Sister: Confession proves that a thriller doesn’t need loud scares to be disturbing. It lingers like a whispered prayer in an empty chapel—quiet, unresolved, and deeply unsettling.
