Review of West of Memphis (2012) by Elizabeth M — 27 Jan 2013

A sobering look into an infamous miscarriage of justice in Arkansas that started in 1993 and ended eighteen years later.

Amy Berg delivers a documentary about a well-publicised alleged miscarriages of justice, concerning the imprisonment of three teenagers in 1993, that lasted nearly two decades. Berg's delivery encompasses all angles of the case, talking to all those involved from every possible corner. What we get is a very concise telling the case, which at times causes the film pace to drag and not quite be an gripping as it could be.

Personally, I feel more time should have been spent talking to the three men accused. However, all we get is short interview clips of one defendant along with snippets of his relationship, developed through the bars, with his confidant turned wife. What the film does focus on is the maker's fight for justice, and one feels a slow pacing issue could have been solved by getting to this fight's final outcome sooner.

You'll largely be gripped, especially toward the end as the case turns toward evidence that points a finger in a very surprising direction whilst the fight of freedom's finale leaves a very bitter taste in the mouth.

You'll be shocked, angry, often gripped and left in awe at the ineptitude, judicial corruption and fading hope that swirls around the events. West of Memphis's runtime may put off those who are seeking a more entertaining venture, but it is certainly a film that everyone should give a go.