Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996)

User Rating:

8.4/10   

Directors:

Joe Berlinger
Bruce Sinofsky

Release Date:

10 June 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Crime

Tagline:

It's frightening to think they did it. It's terrifying to think they didn't.

Plot:

A horrific triple child murder leads to an indictment and trial of three nonconformist boys based on questionable evidence.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Trial | Courtroom | Child | Justice

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Joe Berlinger	...	Himself (voice)
Bruce Sinofsky	...	Himself (voice)
Jessie Miskelly	...	Himself
Jason Baldwin	...	Himself
Damien Wayne Echols	...	Himself
Christopher Byers	...	Himself (archive footage)
Steven Branch	...	Himself (archive footage)
Michael Moore	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jessie Miskelly Sr.	...	Himself
Pam Echols	...	Herself
Joe Hutchinson	...	Himself
Domini Teer	...	Herself
John Mark Byers	...	Himself
Melissa Byers	...	Herself
Terry Hobbs	...	Himself

Also Known As:

America Undercover: Paradise Lost - The Child Murders at Robin Hood Woods (USA) (series title)
Murder in West Memphis (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

150 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

West Memphis, Arkansas, USA

Company:

Home Box Office (HBO)

Trivia:

Filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky spent 79 days over a 10-month period filming in the actual Arkansas locales.

Movie Connections:

Version of Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000) (TV)

None is free as long as these three young men are imprisoned.

Absolutely shocking and riveting from beginning to end. A brutal murder of three young boys leads to the wrongful conviction of three teens who were fingered for the crime because the police and townspeople found them "weird." Two of the teens are currently (2004) serving life sentences, and one is sitting on death row! This documentary brilliantly unfolds the story of the tragedy in West Memphis through interviews with the murdered boys' families, the accused and convicted teens, and footage of the court trials. The directors remain unbiased and let the audience decide for themselves "who did it," but there's no disputing that the police investigation was a travesty and that the West Memphis Three did not get fair trials--were found guilty before even taking the stand. Also check out the sequel: "Paradise Lost: Revelations." Be warned, though--both documentaries will make you want to scream with the injustice of it all, and rightfully concern you that despite an absence of any physical evidence linking three young men to a crime, and despite mounds of evidence indicating that the young men are innocent, the desire by influential individuals to convict won out over justice.