The Facts:

Synopsis: A further investigation into the arrest of three teenagers convicted of killing three young boys in Arkansas who spent nearly 20 years in prison before being released after new DNA evidence indicated they may be innocent.

Stars: Gary Gitchell, Jessie Misskelley, Damien Wayne Echols, Jason Baldwin

Director: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky

Rated: NR

Running Length: 121 minutes

TMMM Score: (8/10)

Review:  The final chapter of the groundbreaking series of films that explored the infamous slayings of three children in Arkansas, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory is just as involving as its two predecessors.  Watched as a whole, the three films capture nearly an entire generation of material and it’s an excellent examination of the breakdown of the criminal justice system.  You couldn’t dream up some of the twists and turns this case has taken over the years and if this Oscar nominated entry is less surprising than the first two, it’s only because the focus here is on recent developments in the case that eventually frees the men who spent over half their lives behind bars.  A new documentary from Peter Jackson, West of Memphis, is out now and a film version is in the works – though it’s hard to imagine anything quite as powerful as what the Paradise Lost films have accomplished.