Devil’s Knot (2013)
Certified: 15
Duration: 114 minutes
Directed by: Atom Egoyan
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Mireille Enos, Colin Firth, Dane DeHaan, James Hamrick, Kristopher Higgins, Seth Meriwether, Kevin Durand, Bruce Greenwood, Stephen Moyer, Elias Koteas, Amy Ryan, Alessandro Nivola, Jonathan Spencer, Gary Grubbs, Martin Henderson
KRS release
Devil’s Knot is based on the 2002 true story crime book of the same name by Mara Leveritt, which detailed the events surrounding the case known as West Memphis Three. Canadian director Atom Egoyan brings to life the hotly controversial story, which has already been portrayed in various award-winning documentaries.
Pam Hobbs (Reese Witherspoon) is the mother of a very cheerful boy named Stevie (Jet Jurgensmeyer). One day, he and two of his friends disappear in the woods. The film follows the ensuing search and how Pam and her husband Terry (Alessandro Nivola) react differently to the event, leading to a greater rift between them.
It also follows the police investigation and the ensuing murder charges against three teens: Damien Echols (James Hamrick), Jessie Misskelley (Kristopher Higgins) and Jason Baldwin (Seth Meriwether). The three, especially Echols, are heavy metal fans at a time when America was paranoid about satanic rituals. The local community want the youths punished.
We also get the viewpoint of Ron Lax (Colin Firth), an investigator who starts to work for free on the case. The film does not give answers but hints at the possibility that the youths were just scapegoats for a town wanting justice.
Film director Egoyan’s works are cold and clinical with films such as Exotica (1994), The Sweet Hereafter (1997), Where the Truth Lies (2005) and Chloe (2009) being all must-see films for anyone who wants to delve into thrillers or dramas that are different from the mainstream.
Devil’s Knot fits well into Egoyan’s oeuvre, especially since this story is about sacrifice and loss and how to cope with these themes – all storylines that are very relevant in his movies.
He looks at the community as a whole, at its desperation and anger, and also at its frustration with the ineptitude of the forces that should have prevented such an incident. The director does not focus on the detective aspect or on presenting a solution of the crime that occurred, but on the feelings and emotions of the townspeople.
He harnesses the events and looks at them through two different perspectives: Pam, who cannot believe her son was taken away from her, and Ron, an investigator who starts to discover how much the police and the community wanted to believe these three youths were the perpetrators and were prepared to round the evidence to fit the case.
Egoyan delivers all this with an eye for detail. He effectively shows what happens when hysteria and panic grip a community and how a dark cloak can blind reason.