The first trailer for Atom Egoyan’s upcoming West Memphis Three film, Devil’s Knot, has been released today and unfortunately, it doesn’t look too compelling. I actually saw the film when it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival back in September and didn’t particularly care for it.
The following statement pretty much sums up my thoughts:
With nothing new to say about what is now an almost legendary crime, Devil’s Knot feels like a mostly pointless effort that is not focused enough to really have much of an impact.
Though the subject matter itself is fascinating (four documentaries have been made about this crime), Egoyan simply fails to give us a reason to watch his film, especially if we’ve already seen the Paradise Lost trilogy or Amy Berg’s brilliant West of Memphis. Devil’s Knot offers up nothing new and is essentially, just a dumbed-down, Cliff’s notes version of the events.
Starring a top-notch cast, with Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth in the lead roles, Devil’s Knot tells the story of three young children who were murdered in West Memphis and the subsequent trial of the three suspected killers. Though the entire town seems hellbent on sending the three young men accused of the murders to jail for the rest of their lives, private investigator Ron Lax begins to uncover some evidence that suggests the three men on trial may have been wrongfully accused.
Devil’s Knot will likely arrive in early 2014 but I’m warning you, don’t get too excited for this one. It really is a crummy film and as someone who finds the entire West Memphis Three case to be completely fascinating, I was seriously letdown here. Even the trailer does a poor job of selling the movie, as it isn’t at all compelling and just reeks of melodrama, which is exactly what Egoyan’s film delivers.
Check out the trailer and poster below and let us know if you’re looking forward to seeing Devil’s Knot.
