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Poster for West of Memphis

West of Memphis

An examination of a failure of justice in Arkansas

2012 · 2h 30m · R Documentary
Directed by Amy J. Berg

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Overview

The documentary tells the hitherto unknown story behind an extraordinary and desperate fight to bring the truth to light. Told and made by those who lived it, the filmmakers' unprecedented access to the inner workings of the defense, allows the film to show the investigation, research and appeals process in a way that has never been seen before; revealing shocking and disturbing new information about a case that still haunts the Unitedstatian South.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
96%
Tomatometer
Fresh

It's not a new story, true, but "West of Memphis" makes it both extremely personal and universally painful.

Tom Long, Detroit News
Rotten

We feel like we're watching an overlong true-crime television episode and not a movie.

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Fresh

A real-life horror story, made no less shocking by the familiarity of its early scenes.

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
Fresh

While the "Paradise Lost" films captured events as they unfolded in the heat of battle, "West of Memphis" has the luxury of at least partial closure.

Ty Burr, Boston Globe
Fresh

A true-crime story that begins with a notorious murder case and grows into a chilling indictment of the American justice system.

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

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