Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Bleak, disappointing retelling of powerful true story.
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Devil's Knot
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
DEVIL'S KNOT tells the true story of the murder of three young boys in 1993 in West Memphis, Arkansas. It followed by a controversial trial in which three teen boys -- known as the West Memphis Three -- were convicted based on circumstantial evidence. The general perception of the events is that the authorities viewed the teens with fear and prejudice based on their clothes, their taste in heavy metal music, and their interest in the occult. Devil's Knot focuses on two specific characters: sad, divorced investigator, Ron Lax (Colin Firth), who believes that the teens are innocent, and the mother of one of the murdered boys, Pamela Hobbs (Reese Witherspoon), who starts to doubt her convictions as the trial goes on.
Is It Any Good?
This powerful true story has already been told in greater depth in four documentaries, so a feature film treatment at this point seems opportunistic at best. Through Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky's three Paradise Lost films, released in 1996, 2000, and 2011, and Amy Berg's 2012 West of Memphis, the story has become fairly well known, attracting celebrity activists such as Peter Jackson and Eddie Vedder.
Acclaimed director Atom Egoyan is another factor; in his career, he has bounced back and forth between sexy, voyeuristic films (Chloe), where he seems comfortable, and heavy, preachy, message-heavy art films, where he does not. Comparing Devil's Knot to his somewhat similar The Sweet Hereafter, it's easy to see that, where that earlier film had grace, depth, and beauty, Devil's Knot seems all chilly surface, skimming over details and adding only cursory character elements, such as Hobbs' visit to her dead son's classroom. Lacking community or connection, it's a movie of gloomy resignation.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the nature of Devil's Knot's violence. How does its impact compare to the violence in a fictional story? What's the difference?
What mistakes were made during the course of this story? How can knowledge of this event help change things in the future, if at all?
What's the appeal of this story? Why do you think it's been made into five films (and counting)? What's the difference between a fictional feature film retelling of the story and the documentary versions of the same story?
Where do prejudice and stereotyping enter into the story? Why are certain people viewed the way they are?
Movie Details
- In theaters : May 9, 2014
- On DVD or streaming : June 10, 2014
- Cast : Colin Firth , Reese Witherspoon , Dane DeHaan
- Director : Atom Egoyan
- Inclusion Information : Middle Eastern/North African Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Image Entertainment
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 114 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 22, 2021
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