God works in mysterious ways. Man works in the deadliest.

A Detroit priest (Donald Sutherland) is trying to help solve a crime spree that has resulted in a horrible series of slayings of area priests and nuns. When he hears the murderer's admission of guilt (while giving confession) he is torn between honoring the vows of privacy and secrecy afforded repentants and revealing the murderer's identity.

The Rosary Murders is a 1987 neo-noir mystery film starring Donald Sutherland as Father Koesler, based upon the novel by William X. Kienzle. Kienzle received screenplay credit, as did Elmore Leonard.
The story involves a series of murders in which the victims are all either Roman Catholic priests or nuns, each of whom is found with a black rosary. Father Koesler goes in search of the murderer but is caught in a quandary when the murderer confesses the crimes to him. He is unable to break the seal of confession by going to the police.
Jack White has an uncredited role in the film as an altar server.[2] The film was shot in Detroit, Michigan at Holy Redeemer parish, a century old Roman Catholic church on Detroit's Southwest side.

Release Date: August 27, 1987

Distrib: New Line Cinema


Boxoffice: $1,730,337 2014: $3,695,200