Devil's Knot

Name: Devil's Knot
Genre: Biography, Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: May 9, 2014
Duration: 114 min
Rating: 42
Cast: Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon

2014

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Mixed or average reviews based on 24 Critic Reviews

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Devil's Knot

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Movie Details & Credits

Image Entertainment | Release Date: May 9, 2014 | Not Rated

Starring: Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon

Summary: May 5, 1993. West Memphis, Arkansas. Three young boys playing in the nearby woods never come home for dinner. In the rush to find and convict the killers, police focus on a trio of teenagers suspected of devil worship. As the mother (Reese Witherspoon) of one of the murdered boys tries to come to grips with this unspeakable tragedy, she isMay 5, 1993. West Memphis, Arkansas. Three young boys playing in the nearby woods never come home for dinner. In the rush to find and convict the killers, police focus on a trio of teenagers suspected of devil worship. As the mother (Reese Witherspoon) of one of the murdered boys tries to come to grips with this unspeakable tragedy, she is desperate to believe that the killers have been found and will be brought to justice. It is only when an investigator (Colin Firth) reveals that the evidence doesn’t all add up, that the community is forced to face the reality that the true killer might still be out there.… Expand

Director: Atom Egoyan

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, Thriller, Crime

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 114 min

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Critic Reviews

Adam Markovitz

May 7, 2014

The movie doesn’t grab you emotionally, but director Atom Egoyan (Exotica) teases apart the case’s details with grim fascination. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Matt Zoller Seitz

May 9, 2014

There are too many major characters and too many points of emphasis. As elegantly directed as it sometimes is, it feels disjointed, scattered. Read full review

Noel Murray

May 6, 2014

What’s most frustrating about Devil’s Knot—especially for longtime Egoyan fans—is how generic the movie becomes every time it folds another wrinkle into the case. Read full review

Bilge Ebiri

May 10, 2014

It’s not a bad film, exactly, but it’s a jumbled, uncertain one, and it never quite makes a compelling case for itself. Read full review

Sheri Linden

May 8, 2014

Egoyan, who has never shied away from the lurid aspects of lost innocence, takes a measured approach that successfully avoids sensationalism. But the film's restraint verges on blankness. Read full review

Farran Smith Nehme

May 8, 2014

Colin Firth plays a real-life investigator whom the script renders as noble as Atticus Finch. Reese Witherspoon does haunting work as a victim’s mom. But the stately pace and the faultless art direction add to the impression that truth was not only stranger, but more dramatic. Read full review

The Guardian Catherine Shoard

Sep 14, 2013

It reduces a complex and extraordinary case to soap. It makes you care less, for all its heavy-breathing and cheapo coaxing. Read full review

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User Reviews

horizonbts

Sep 19, 2015

I picked up this movie for my sister as she has a major in criminology and a minor in phycology, and has followed this case from the beginning. I had some foundation of the background in this case, as she had explained different things that have happened along the way. I wasn't so sureI picked up this movie for my sister as she has a major in criminology and a minor in phycology, and has followed this case from the beginning. I had some foundation of the background in this case, as she had explained different things that have happened along the way. I wasn't so sure about how the dramatic version would be, but really was pleasantly surprised by the performances of Colin Firth and Reese Witherspoon. It gives you a very good account of what happened behind the scenes and puts the doubt in your minds, but in some ways kind of lets you form your own opinions too. It gave me further insight on what actually happened and took place in this botched handling of the case and details the sad accounts of what happened to 3 young boys on the dreadful night of May 5th. All in all very impressed with the movie and the acting!!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Tss5078

Jun 15, 2014

The story portrayed in Devil's Knot is the story of the West Memphis 3, a story I am very familiar with. Due to the heinous nature of the crime and the complete incompetence of the local police, the story garnered national attention and has been featured on every news show you can think of.The story portrayed in Devil's Knot is the story of the West Memphis 3, a story I am very familiar with. Due to the heinous nature of the crime and the complete incompetence of the local police, the story garnered national attention and has been featured on every news show you can think of. There have also been a ton of documentaries made, all of which I've seen, and all of which call into question who might have really committed these acts. 1993, West Memphis Arkansas, three 8 year old boys go missing in the woods. A huge search party spends 3 days looking for them, before finding them in a popular fishing hole known as the Devil's Knot. There is a big list of suspects, but all the police can see is a group of Satan worshiping teenagers, who have long been a thorn in their sides. Through some very questionable tactics, and a sham of a trial, these teenagers were convicted and sent to prison. From the beginning, there involvement in the crime was called into question, even by the victims families, who saw the injustice of the whole procedure first hand. With my knowledge of the story, I was really interested to see how a film would handle the overwhelming amount of information associated with this case. To my surprise, they didn't do the typical thing and just focus on one aspect of the story, they made the case for the guilt of each of the suspects, and they showed how the police blindly and incompetently when after these three teenagers. As the film goes, they hit the nail right on the head, but when you have all these suspects, and so much back story, squeezed into an hour and a half, it can become extremely confusing for audiences unfamiliar with the case. The film is further harmed by all the interviews and investigation which really slow the pace down. The story of the West Memphis 3 is a tragic one that has led to the freedom of a killer, who did horrible things to three little boys. Devil's Knot is a primary example of police misconduct and the lack of justice available to the less fortunate. If you have an interest, I highly recommend you look into the story and decide for yourself, and a non-bias film covering the events is a great place to start.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

LeZee

Mar 16, 2015

I understand why this film did not vastly, positively recognized, even though it was taken straight from a really cruel incident. Some viewers mind only the commercial value, forget that one because they're living a useless and careless life about society. And the other reason is there isI understand why this film did not vastly, positively recognized, even though it was taken straight from a really cruel incident. Some viewers mind only the commercial value, forget that one because they're living a useless and careless life about society. And the other reason is there is nothing wrong in performance, direction or in any technical aspect, but the story itself do not fit to be a movie. It should have been documentary instead.

Coincidentally, this movie was similar to the 2011 Koren movie 'Children...' which was also based on the true event. About children who go missing. Both the events took place in the early 90s. This silver screen movie looks a lot like television broadcastable item that it should be. There is a documentary trilogy inspired from this story. The motive was to bring the truth out and it was well received according to ratings and reviews. And don't forget the books.

‘‘My son is 8-year-old. He sleeps with a night light on,
he did not run away from home.’’

A movie must have (1) a story to begin with, (2) characters that develop along the story and (3) finally a conclusion whether twist in it or not, happy or sad, either way it works. So what's wrong with it? Well, it lacks in development in either of above first two points and extents throughout without nothing while we are expecting a glimpse of something to happen. The fact is, no one knows what really happened, actually those who know are tight lipped because of involvement. I just can't conclude my judgement because of this movie, but give a fair point for anyone who are not familiar with this case.

Not focused on a particular character, the most of the perspective in the storytelling was Colin Firth's role which was just an appearance to show I'm there but not in action. You have a couple of choices to rate this movie, one, based on the story which is real and cruel, and another is the movie that disappoints as a movie. Like I am always quite happy with the product like this, because I got to know what I supposed to learn about this 'West Memphis Three' case. Hope the new movie do convey well to the cinematic output.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

MovieGuys

Aug 23, 2016

Devil's Knot tells a compelling story, but the movie is bogged down by storyline cliches, poor pacing, and being overlong. It's a shame that Witherspoon and Firth didn't have more scenes together, as their characters are what makes the movie interesting.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

BrianMcCritic

Jul 5, 2014

Reese Witherspoon really tries to turn this over dramatised film into something to take serious, unfortunately with the many great documentaries this story has this film falls short. C

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JLuis_001

May 23, 2018

The topic of this film has been explored a lot and considering what it offers I would recommend that instead you devote your attention to the Paradise Lost trilogy and also the documentary West of Memphis, which are much better than this film.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

cigarillored

May 16, 2014

What an astoundingly bad movie. What a waste of a cast. What an opportunity missed to take a genuinely compelling case and turn the spotlight on an appalling miscarriage of justice. Ok, so there's been numerous documentaries about the West Memphis Three, good ones in fact, but this was aWhat an astoundingly bad movie. What a waste of a cast. What an opportunity missed to take a genuinely compelling case and turn the spotlight on an appalling miscarriage of justice. Ok, so there's been numerous documentaries about the West Memphis Three, good ones in fact, but this was a story ripe for the telling. It's a murder-mystery for Christ's sake -- any half-competent director could nail this. Instead he forces us to sit through the LEAST interesting parts of the story. Anyone who's familiar with the case knows that it's what unfolded AFTER the trial that constitutes the most fascinating part of this terrible tragedy. There are parallels here that can be drawn to Fincher's ZODIAC, another story of murder that became a tangled web of conspiracy, but Fincher knew how to structure his film. Devil's Knot should never have been a court room procedural. What's most telling about this film is that a good two thirds of the most interesting, compelling parts of the story (the subsequent revelations after the trial) are told in brief text flashed up on screen just before the credits. Woeful choices. Just woeful. Colin Firth, god love him, sticks out like a sore thumb. He mopes around, and his character has zero purpose other than to quietly simmer in moral outrage. Reese Witherspoon plays the mother of one of the children -- that's it, that's the extent of the character. She mourns her son, and that's all she gets to do. Again, just a waste of talent. Avoid it like the plague, and go and watch West Memphis Three.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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