Devil’s Knot

For those that have sat through one or more of the exhaustive documentaries about the notorious miscarriage of justice in the West Memphis Three case, Devil’s Knot is not worth the time or effort.

For those who haven’t viewed any of the riveting Paradise Lost trilogy or the searing West of Memphis, this dramatization might provide an adequate introduction that still pales in comparison.

The film, of course, examines the murder of three young Arkansas boys who were riding their bikes together in the woods one day after school. Their bodies are found the next day, and the cops round up three teenagers linked to satanic cults as their prime suspects, citing confessions that were later either recanted or suspected to be coerced, rather than hard evidence.

Specifically, the film centers on Pam Hobbs (Reese Witherspoon), a grieving mother whose husband (Alessandro Nivola) eagerly joins the public outcry to convict the three teens. As guilt and blame are passed around, a private investigator (Colin Firth) and his wife (Amy Ryan) become skeptical and aid the defense, which is overwhelmed by an unsympathetic judge (Bruce Greenwood).

The investigation and rush to convict the trio is a textbook example of how the dangerous influence of stereotypes and moral outrage can overshadow common sense. In this instance, the rush to judgment of both the authorities and the locals resulted from a hasty quest for swift justice spurred by fear and religious fanaticism.

Devil’s Knot marks a mainstream departure for Canadian director Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter), whose reputation won’t be harmed considerably by this melodramatic misfire. Ditto for the high-profile cast, although Firth struggles with the Arkansas accent while playing a character that has been trumped up from his actual involvement in the case.

The film achieves a moderate level of suspense, thanks mostly to the compelling and infuriating true-life source material. But given all the revelations and developments in the case during the past 20 years, this treatment seems shallow and trivial.

The screenplay, which is based on a nonfiction book by journalist Mara Leveritt, funnels a complex story into a the framework of a standard courtroom procedural that might have made for a decent “Law & Order” episode. With its poor timing and subpar execution, perhaps it can at least inadvertently draw more attention to those other, superior films about the same subject.

Not rated, 114 minutes.