Last Rites 1988

Father Michael Pace, Tom Berenger, is a New York priest with deep ties to the Mafia—the crime family his father leads casts a long shadow over his clerical life. The story kicks off with a shocking turn: his brother-in-law Gino, a ruthless mafia boss, is murdered while in a compromising moment with Angela, a mysterious woman who barely escapes by slipping into a bathroom and locking herself inside.

Angela, Daphne Zuniga, seeks absolution and finds Father Mike in an unlikely confidant role. She fears approaching the police and asks for a meeting at a location of her choosing. A cab driver ferries Father Mike to a bleak loft, where a sorrowful tale unfolds—Angela has helped him and his wife cope with the grief of losing their young son. When Mike presses her about any knowledge of his family ties, she denies knowing the connection, and the couple faces down a pair of hitmen who close in. In the chaos, Mike is wounded, and one of the assailants recognizes him, deepening the danger.

Angela hides within Father Mike’s world, seeking sanctuary as the violence closes in. She claims it was Gino’s wife who shot him, a claim that does little to quiet the storm of suspicion. Gino is buried, and at the funeral Mike’s gaze lingers on his sister Zena, whom he suspects has been tangled with the very people who hunted him. The Don—Mike’s father—speaks of a racketeering trial that could land him in prison, and reveals that Zena has been barred from running the family business simply because she is a woman. As the funeral winds down, a hitman confirms to the Don and Zena that he recognized Michael, cementing a sense that the net is closing in on all of them.

Zena, Anne Twomey, approaches confession with Father Mike and hints that she knows about his involvement with the girl Angela helped. Feeling a dangerous pull toward Angela, Mike finds himself drawn into a complex web of loyalty and desire. In a pivotal turn, he befriends Nuzo, Chick Vennera, a detective who is also his godfather’s friend. Nuzo warns him not to trust Angela and reveals a stunning secret: Gino had provided evidence to a rival crime syndicate in exchange for five million dollars, a move that could topple the Don. Nuzo urges patience as he prepares an arrest, but fate intervenes when Nuzo is gunned down, dying in Mike’s arms.

Driven by a mix of guilt, faith, and longing, Father Mike and Angela flee to Mexico, heading toward her village. For the first time, Mike abandons his vows and they reunite, sharing a night of passion. Dawn reveals Angela’s absence; she has vanished, and the pursuit intensifies as the Don learns of their location. Zena is dispatched to hunt Angela down, and Mike races to intercept, fending off another hitman along the way. He reaches the village in time to join a religious festival, drawn toward the Cathedral where the Virgin Mary looms large in the film’s visual language.

The truth comes to light: Angela is a fraud who schemed to fleece Gino and keep the money for herself. She is also married to the “cabbie” who aided her earlier plan, the very man she sent to pick up Mike. Angela’s plan unravels as the cabbie’s trail leads to a return to the festival, where Mike spots him leaving in a rental car Angela had commandeered. The moment brings a crisis of conscience for Mike as he gazes at the statue of The Virgin and contemplates his own capacity for sin. He discards his priestly ring and follows the path his heart has chosen.

He finds Angela back at a hotel, pretends to confess love, and they begin again. But Angela awakens to find Mike still standing in the room, a silent observer. He leaves with a quiet departure, uttering the line, > Vaya con Dios. Angela is stunned when Zena enters, and Zena shoots Angela fatally as Mike steps away from the doorway. The two siblings—Zena and Mike—share a moment and drive away together, the latter’s hand resting on Zena’s in a tentative, uneasy alliance.

The film closes in the Cathedral, where a slow zoom settles on The Virgin. As the image lingers and the fade to black returns, a small tear escapes from the statue’s eye, a final, reluctant note of mercy in a story defined by courage, betrayal, and the price of seeking absolution.