West of Memphis

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  • Opened December 25, 2012 
  • 2 hr 30 min
  • R | Some Language and Disturbing Violent Content
  • A new documentary written and directed by Academy Award nominated filmmaker Amy Berg (Deliver Us From Evil) and produced by first-time filmmakers Damien Echols and Lorri Davis, in collaboration with the multiple Academy Award winning team of Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, WEST OF MEMPHIS tells the untold story behind an extraordinary and desperate fight to bring the truth to light: a fight to stop the State of Arkansas from killing an innocent man. Starting with a searing examination of the police investigation into the 1993 murders of three eight-year-old boys in the small town of West Memphis, Arkansas, the film goes on to uncover new evidence surrounding the arrest and conviction of the other three victims of this shocking crime--Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley. All three were teenagers when they became the target of the police investigation; all three went on to lose 18 years of their lives--imprisoned for crimes they did not commit. Full synopsis

  • Cast: Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, Jessie Misskelley Jr., Lorri Davis, Peter Jackson
  • Director: Amy Berg
  • Genres: Documentary

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Critics say Go
80 out of 100
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Fan Reviews

Oh No!
misleading

by simhou

What a manipulative and meaningless piece of garbage. I was hoping for some beef here. Jackson should stick with his phantasie movies. OMG...and Depp and whoever else got involved here should go to...

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justice

by savagefilm

An incredibly well done documentary from beginning to end, dealing with a horrifying event and exposing how the justice system can be so easily manipulated... makes you wonder how much innocence is...

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Critic Reviews

100
Chicago Sun-Times
| Roger Ebert

Do we need a fourth film? Yes, I think we do. If you only see one of them, this is the one to choose, because it has the benefit of hindsight. Read full review

91
Entertainment Weekly
| Owen Gleiberman

The film casts a hypnotic spell all its own. It artfully sketches out the events for anyone who's coming in cold, but basically, its strategy is to take what we already know and go deeper. Read full review

90
Wall Street Journal
| Joe Morgenstern

Ms. Berg's film, which she wrote with Billy McMillin, tells the story with unprecedented clarity. She has a dramatist's eye for what was irretrievably lost-the innocent lives of the children, plus 18 years of three other innocent lives. Read full review

88
New York Post
| Sara Stewart

This is a compelling and comprehensive guide to one of the most Kafkaesque crime stories in American history. Read full review

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Photos

Lorri Davis in "West of Memphis."