Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
The savage murders of three young children sparks a controversial trial of three teenagers accused of killing the kids as part of a satanic ritual.
Devil's Knot covers the West Memphis Three case with reasonable fidelity but struggles to distinguish itself from the superior Paradise Lost documentary series that already defined how this story is told. The plot competently traces the investigation and trial but feels truncated and surface-level given the complexity of the real events. Acting from Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth is solid but underutilized, with neither given enough material to elevate the film. Cinematography is workmanlike and largely unremarkable, failing to capture the oppressive Southern atmosphere the story deserves. Novelty suffers most — the film arrives well after the documentaries exhausted this territory, and it adds little new perspective or cinematic voice. The ending is handled adequately, conveying the injustice of the verdicts without being truly impactful.