Confess, Fletch

After over a decade of mostly failed attempts to make Mad Men’s Jon Hamm a movie star, during which he quietly established himself as a gifted comedian in various TV and film projects, director/co-writer Greg Mottola (Superbad; Adventureland) finally provides the actor with the opportunity to let his talents shine.

Taking over for Chevy Chase, Hamm is a practically perfect fit as the new Irwin M. “Fletch” Fletcher in Confess, Fletch, a silly whodunnit that finds the former investigative journalist caught up in a deliciously twisty tale of murder and art thievery.

Primarily set in Boston — which affords our die-hard Lakers fan many a pot shot at the local basketball club — the tale finds Fletch attempting to clear his name of a murder that occurred in his Airbnb rental, which also has something to do with his Italian girlfriend Angela (Lorenza Izzo, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), her kidnapped father, and their family’s stolen paintings demanded as ransom.

Skillfully adapted by Mottola and TV writer Zev Borow from Gregory McDonald’s novel, the convoluted conflicts get viewers’ minds whirring about potential solutions and sets up the goofy rapport between Fletch and Det. Monroe (Roy Wood Jr., The Daily Show) and trainee Griz (Ayden Mayeri, Veep) — and the suspect’s humorous means of eluding these overmatched cops.

In addition to Hamm’s confident lead turn, Confess, Fletch succeeds thanks to zippy pacing, propelled by a barrage of witty jokes, many of them delivered by an unfairly good supporting cast.

Along with the aforementioned players, Marcia Gay Harden earns steady yuks as Angela’s flirty stepmother, The Countess; Kyle MacLachlan adds to his already impressive resumé of quirky characters as germaphobe art collector Horan; Annie Mumolo steals a long scene from Hamm as his airhead neighbor Eve; and John Slattery’s reunion with Hamm as Fletch’s former LA editor Frank will have Mad Men fans giddy.

The answers to who committed the crime aren’t exactly mind-blowing, but the journey is what matters, and all involved are on the same tonal page in getting there. More importantly, the wait for the great Jon Hamm comedic role is over, and this triumph will hopefully lead to additional opportunities — either in this series or elsewhere.

Grade: B-plus. Rated R. Available to rent on Amazon Video, iTunes, and other streaming platforms.

(Photo: Miramax)