Devil’s Knot is a 2013 biographical crime film directed by Atom Egoyan, starring Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon, Mireille Enos, Kevin Durand, and Dane DeHaan, and Bruce Greenwood.  Based on a true story as told in Mara Leveritt’s 2002 book of the same name, focusing on three teenagers known as the West Memphis Three, who were convicted of killing three young boys during the Satanic ritual abuse panic.

Positives:

• Good characters
• Great performances
• Compelling story
• Good score

Negatives:

• Slow paced

Plot:  The Arkansas town of West Memphis makes national headlines when three teenagers are arrested for the brutal murders of three little boys.  A very compelling story that does touch upon stereotypes, religious beliefs, and how society views others who are different. (3 out of 5)

Characters:  There are some relatable characters.  Pamela (Withespoon) is a woman torn by the tragedy of her son’s death.  Her character stands out because she isn’t as bloodthirsty as most of the town citizens.  Ron (Firth) is also a pretty deep character and as a private investigator is determined to avoid the teens having to face the death penalty. (3 out of 5)

Cast:  Great performances by the talented cast.  Great performances by Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth.  The cast also includes Bruce Greenwood, Stephen Moyer, Elias Koteas, Amy Ryan, and Alessandro Nivola. (4 out of 5)

Visuals:  The film is shot really well and does give the cinematography gives the film a very autumn, old-school look to it. (3 out of 5)

Score:  Paul Sarossy does a good job with the music.  It definitely gives a smooth, emotional tone. (3 out of 5)

Writing:  The script does take its time to allow exposition on the various characters while keeping the events of the investigation and trial in focus.  There is this really powerful moment where Pamela and Ron are talking about the investigation and it really shows where these two characters stand. (3 out of 5)

The Verdict: In the end, Devil’s Knot is a pretty film although it isn’t great.  It does go at a pretty slow pace which can be a pain for some but it does feature great performances, a good story, good characters, and a good score.  Devil’s Knot gets 3 out of 5.