DEVIL’S KNOT tells the unfathomable true story of the murder of three young boys and the conviction of three other boys despite a lack of evidence. World renowned as the West Memphis 3, the story has continued its momentum over the last two decades due to unprecedented coverage in the form of three documentaries which made up the PARADISE LOST trilogy as well as WEST MEMPHIS. The three boys accused received an outpouring of support from the likes of celebrities including Metallica and Johnny Depp, but no amount of pressure seemed enough. The boys (now men) were eventually released in 2011 after entering an Alford Plea.
Now it’s time to see the case brought into the world of dramatic reenactment from director Atom Egoyan. His adpatation of the novel DEVIL’S KNOT will explore the case using hindsight, as a lawyer (Colin Firth) becomes the only one willing to stand up for the accused. Egoyan is responsible for one of the greatest movies of all time, THE SWEET HEREAFTER, but can he bring anything worthwhile to this already well documented case? As somebody who has been following the case for a number of years, perhaps the film wont reach me on the same level as it will the uninitiated. Let’s hope it will have more people questioning the legal system at times of great injustice, if nothing else.
DEVIL’S KNOT is released 9th May in the US and is awaiting distribution news for the UK. It stars Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon, Kevin Durand, Alessandro Nivola, Dane DeHaan, Elias Koteas, Martin Henderson, Stephen Moyer, and Amy Ryan.
Luke likes many things, films and penguins being among them. He's loved films since the age of 9, when STARGATE and BATMAN FOREVER changed the landscape of modern cinema as we know it. His love of film extends to all aspects of his life, with trips abroad being planned around film locations and only buying products featured in Will Smith movies. His favourite films include SEVEN SAMURAI, PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC, IN BRUGES, LONE STAR, GODZILLA, and a thousand others.
