It is an Infamous Case. Three Young Boys were Found Bound and Mutilated in a Stream. The Police, Prosecution, and the Community Zoomed in on Three Teenagers who were known Misfits, liked Heavy Metal Music, and were doing "Odd Things" and had a Fascination with the Occult. Since the Murdered Kids showed Signs of Genital Trauma it was Assumed that this was a "Satanic" Ritual. All Three were Found Guilty and One got the Death Sentence.This Film Focuses on the Weak Case, with No Physical Evidence and Witness Testimony that was Later Recanted to Shine some Light on a Probable Injustice, Suspect Police Procedures, and Perhaps Corruption, or at Least Prejudice in the Judicial System.A Detailed and Zealous Investigation, the Film also Points a Finger at a Suspect, one of the Boys Stepfathers and goes to some Length to Dissect His Personality and Leans Toward His Possible Guilt. There are by now, other Documentaries on the Case and a Hollywood Drama Based on a Non-Fiction Book, "Devil's Knot"(2013). This Documentary does, among other things, makes it Clear that the Judicial System, at Least in Arkansas, is Fatally Flawed and Indirectly Adds Weight to Death Penalty Abolitionists. More Extensive Accounts are on the Internet for Anyone to find more details on this Sensational Story, the Documentaries, and the Individuals Involved on All Sides of this Case. Just Search...The West Memphis Three and the Results will be Enormous.This is just a Capsuled Review of this Film and is Short compared to the Gargantuan Amount of Information that is Available. For more, like the Names of the People Involved and the Minutia of the Case, Look Beyond this Review. But be Advised, there are No Easy Answers and be Prepared for an Avalanche of Conflicting and Confusing Facts, Rumors, Innuendos, and Evidence.This Documentary is Good a Place to Start or End any Inquiry.

'West of Memphis', the latest documentary from Amy Berg, focuses on the story of 'the West Memphis Three' – Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jesse Miskelly, three teenagers who were wrongly imprisoned in Memphis, Arkansas, in 1993, for being accused of brutally murdering three 8 eight year-old boys from the area. This documentary chronicles how they spent nearly two decades in jail before being released and also details the meticulous investigation that was carried out from the moment they were placed behind bars.The great miscarriage of justice is the primary focus here, as Baldwin, Miskelly and Echols suffer (the latter's health began to deteriorate) in prison for a crime they were blamed for because they are considered "the type of people who would do something like that", for example, Echols listened to heavy metal and was interested in the area of Satanism so the finger was instantly pointed at him. After the blame was eventually lifted from the three, it was then directed at one of the boy's fathers as he was, like Echols, considered "the type of person who would do something like that." When the documentary reaches its conclusion, it becomes apparent how ludicrous the accusations against both parties were because they were simply scapegoats and consequently very few people in the area questioned the credibility of them being the murderers. Simultaneously, we are offered a balanced look at the topic, frequently seeing opinions from both sides of the argument.The injustice that prevailed here was already explored in HBO's 'Paradise Lost' trilogy, but many have argued that this film presents a more compelling and thorough account of the 18 year saga. Produced by Peter Jackson (who appears throughout the documentary as one of the many famous guest stars) and Fran Walsh, the film expertly combines specially-recorded interviews, news and archive footage and forensic examinations. This combination results in a documentary that is by turns shocking, tragic, infuriating and always gripping.

My first thought after viewing this documentary was how could three innocent youths be charged/convicted/sentenced to this crime based on the post trial evidence I'm viewing? It's really tragic if these three are innocent. But what if the guy who directed this film, the clear leader of the three, actually duped the justice system. He befriended two boys who are clearly less intelligent, and appear to be very manipulative. When he's being interviewed in prison, he expresses his interest in magic and his desire to be considered the best at this craft. He finds a young women in whom he bears his soul and they connect. Over time he gets some influential people in his corner. Serious doubts based on lack of evidence, specifically DNA, plus some focus now on Hobbs, the stepfather who's at the very least abusing his step children. The bodies of the boys are found in the water perhaps damaging the chance for some/any DNA recovery from the actual perp(s)sans the hair from Hobbs. But since Stevie lived with Hobbs it is possible a transfer occurred not related to the crime. Hobbs would be an easy target to manipulate, he's unable to answer some of questions with a logical answer even if it were a lie. Damien Echols is an odd character in my opinion, capable of manipulating the other two boys easily. Capable of creating the illusion of innocence with the people that got involved on his behalf. Did a guilty man actually get himself off death row by creating the illusion of misjustice? Quite a magic trick, among the best if he did.

I accidentally happened upon this documentary, and I have to say, I am not very fond of documentaries because - if good - they really mess me up. This was one of them, the prime example.One thing has to be said right at the start of my review: I do not know if these men (young men/boys at the time of the crime) are guilty. And that is the entire point of me writing this review - because nobody else have pointed it out explicitly. This movie is about someone being found guilty NOT beyond reasonable doubt, and that is the main pillar of our western judicial system.The reason this film resonates so strongly with me, is that at the same time this crime was committed in the US, a child molestation case exploded in Norway (where I am from). The case was littered with media personalities advocating for hard justice, with inflated charges and extremely bad police-work. If it were not for these similarities with the West Memphis Three case, I may have dismissed this documentary as an art director "gone wild." It is beyond all doubt, that innocent people will be held accountable for crimes which they have not committed - easily deduced from off-the- head statistics. But the strength of our western judicial system, is that one can only be sentenced guilty, when it is beyond every reasonable doubt. In this documentary we are presented with a case in which reasonable doubt is sacrificed on the altar of public opinion and preconceived notions. As I said earlier in this review, I do not know if these three men were guilty of the crimes to which they were sentenced - but I do recognize a perversion of justice and a sentence made on weak evidence. Amid all the turmoil which the accused are put through, this documentary still manages to portray the pain and anguish the victims families have to go through, and present it in a dignified manner.For me, this was a documentary true to its genre, because it was no winners, only losers, and as a viewer you feel like one.