"The Rosary Murders" uses the very familiar plot of a priest getting a confession from a criminal, but because the priest is bound by the seal of the confessional, he can't inform the police about what he knows. As familiar as this plot is, it can all the same be done with intelligence and tension. But in this particular telling, the results are kind of bland. I will give the movie this - instead of being presented in an extremely hyped and breakneck pace, the movie is executed in a more calmer fashion than you might think, which is refreshing. However, in the end, the movie is somewhat TOO calm in tone. You never get a sense that lives are on the line despite the escalating body count, and Donald Sutherland's does not seem to be going through the wringer. Also, the movie at 105 minutes is much too stretched out. Much of the blame for these problems seems to lie with novelist Elmore Leonard co-writing the script. While he was a good writer, this kind of story was not what he was good at. I should point out the movie has some strengths - for one thing, it does get you curious enough to want to find out how it will be wrapped up - but all the same the movie ends up being a somewhat unsatisfying viewing experience.