Featured Audience Ratings

• Jeff "

  
  Powerful documentary about how crooked the judicial system can be. This film follows the case of the West Memphis 3. This is a stunning documentary that definitely makes you ask questions. Now in this review I won't say my personal thoughts on this case, however I will say that… More
  Powerful documentary about how crooked the judicial system can be. This film follows the case of the West Memphis 3. This is a stunning documentary that definitely makes you ask questions. Now in this review I won't say my personal thoughts on this case, however I will say that what this film presented was a one sided case where the evidence was minimal and the verdicts were delivered as guilty due to the fact that they dressed in black, listened to heavy metal. This documentary is among the greatest documentaries ever filmed and is a must see for anyone looking for a compelling documentary. There is no doubt that the crimes committed were horrible, but what's more horrible is prosecuting the wrong people. This is a stunning film, one that should be seen. What stands out for me is how the boys accused of the crimes were vilified and directly seen as guilty because of the fact they listened to heavy metal, dressed in black and read books on the occult. The way the public perceived these three was very questionable and instead of looking at the evidence, they simply made them guilty right off the bat. This is a solidly crafted film that definitely is an eye opener. This is a hard film to watch, but also a necessary one to watch as well. Brilliant in showing both sides of the story, Paradise Lost definitely does a good job at giving the viewer his own interpretation of what is truth, and what is not. I really enjoyed the film, and though it was hard to watch, this film is still one of the most important documentaries on a criminal case ever filmed. This should be seen by anyone looking for a solid and interesting documentary.

• Anthony L

  
  Probably one of the most shocking, frightening and astonishing documentaries ever made. Having been on a Jury twice I'm not surprised by certain problems in the judicial system but I just couldn't believe my eyes and ears watching this case. I'm not that naive that I… More
  Probably one of the most shocking, frightening and astonishing documentaries ever made. Having been on a Jury twice I'm not surprised by certain problems in the judicial system but I just couldn't believe my eyes and ears watching this case. I'm not that naive that I don't believe that Courts, Defence/Prosecutors and the media aren't always on top form but the display of ignorance, stupidity and dishonesty on show here boils the blood as well as chills to the bone. Bruce Sinofsky and Joe Berlinger really hit the jackpot with this one. It has to be seen to be believed.

• familiar s

  
  Remarkable FILM. I'd have been at my wit's end had I had one. Murders can be a beneficial product, and can earn many a few name, fame and whatnot intentionally or otherwise. Learn to earn. And it deserves applaud for not brooding on the victims' footage (specifically… More
  Remarkable FILM. I'd have been at my wit's end had I had one. Murders can be a beneficial product, and can earn many a few name, fame and whatnot intentionally or otherwise. Learn to earn. And it deserves applaud for not brooding on the victims' footage (specifically dead) alone time and again..... even if that's done to spare the audience the horror of the crime. Its runtime seemed bothersome initially, but they've done a marvelous job in its execution.

• Reid V

  
  Soul-stirring.

• Unknown H

  
  An outstanding documentary and look into the lives of the judicial system in the south of the USA that casts a painful light on how people are judged and sentenced based on their backgrounds and beliefs. A thought provoking and upsetting documentary telling the story of three teenage… More
  An outstanding documentary and look into the lives of the judicial system in the south of the USA that casts a painful light on how people are judged and sentenced based on their backgrounds and beliefs. A thought provoking and upsetting documentary telling the story of three teenage boys charged for murdering and mutilating three eight year old boys in West Memphis in the early 1990's. I thought I would know which side to choose by the end of it, but still, I sit here dumbfoundly wondering whether or not justice was actually done. Very unsettling.

• Zach B

  
  I could never figure out why in the sixteen years I have been alive, but I always find things like the deaths of young children fascinating towards me. Maybe it is because I always wondered why it is that people would do such a terrible crime as rob an innocent child's life when… More
  I could never figure out why in the sixteen years I have been alive, but I always find things like the deaths of young children fascinating towards me. Maybe it is because I always wondered why it is that people would do such a terrible crime as rob an innocent child's life when that child has not even the slightest idea of what life is. Well, this is a documentary that deals with three murders of three very young children, and the three teenagers that were held responsible for these crimes. But, there is a catch (and I am not spoiling anything by saying this): the three teenagers are innocent. So, then why are they suspected of this hideous crime? Because they do not fit in with their society which is a strict Baptist community. Now, I am not bashing any religions, but this documentary shows what would happen if there was something of a modern day witch trial in our country. These are three young men (one who is mentally retarded with the I.Q. of 72, one who is unbelievably shy, and one who is beyond intelligent) dress all in black, are interested in the dark side of life, listen to heavy metal music, and are what their town of West Memphis, Arkansas deems as 'normal'. But what makes this documentary work and makes it so wonderful is how it shows the bias and simple minded nature of humans who are afraid of what they do not know, and how willing they are of putting the blame on someone for no apparent reason other then that of just singling out someone. Now, I first head of this documentary due to the title being taken from the Epic poem by John Milton. His Epic entitled Paradise Lost deals with topics like Satan Vs. God, the fall of humanity, and the loss of innocence. Part of how a documentary works is if the title sets the tone for the film that follows, and with Paradise Lost, it just works. This documentary touches so many of these topics, we are presented with both sides of the case and what we are left with is something that is beyond disturbing, true, and raw. But the thing that impresses me the most is the amount of footage that the film makers were able to receive. They were able to get footage of the victim's family, the three boys on trail, their families, opinions of the community, news reports, their lawyer's opinions, and even footage of the actual trials. Now, there are some thing I wish they could have gotten for this documentary, but for what they got to fill in a two and a half hour documentary (which is about an hour longer then most), it is beyond impressive. If you decide to watch this film, you will have a rather wide range of emotions running through you, ideas and opinions about all of the key players involved, and you will find yourself enjoying the soundtrack that was created my Metallica for this film. All I can say is that THIS is what a documentary should be like. Raw, powerful, and will haunt you for the longest of time after you view it.

• Luke B

  
  I always believed that a case needed only reasonable doubt to find people innocent. Apparently I was very wrong. I am in no way claiming my support for the three found guilty, but I for one could never convict them based on this evidence. The film shows just how unstable people can be… More
  I always believed that a case needed only reasonable doubt to find people innocent. Apparently I was very wrong. I am in no way claiming my support for the three found guilty, but I for one could never convict them based on this evidence. The film shows just how unstable people can be when faced with those that don't conform. I was amazed by how much I disliked the parents of the murdered boys. They ramble and scream about killing these three, already convinced of their guilt. They seem more unstable and threatening to me, and not just because their children have been murdered. No real physical evidence is brought up against the boys, whom should probably start training professional killers on how not to leave evidence at a murder site. I know for a fact that a lot of details were left out of this documentary, and the celebrity worship that has followed the accused since is a bit too much. However this film is terrifying. It shows that just because of the way you look, and what people say about you, can take away your entire life. Make sure to check out all the evidence for yourself.

• Lady D

  
  With a shocking and jolting start to this film, it is certainly not for the faint hearted. Documenting the events of the killing of 3 young boys in West Memphis and the rituals carried out leading up to their untimely deaths. The documentary films the main suspect and his helper… More
  With a shocking and jolting start to this film, it is certainly not for the faint hearted. Documenting the events of the killing of 3 young boys in West Memphis and the rituals carried out leading up to their untimely deaths. The documentary films the main suspect and his helper along with their families and their legal support. The film makes for compelling viewing, the consideration for both defense and prosecution was interesting and the questioning of the two defendants made for confusing the investigation. An exploration of cult envolement proved to be a sinister angle. Just to pull up a negative but niggling point about the film and I?m not sure if this was how the film made it look or this was the final agreement of the court, but despite instincts and some evidence against the boys for commiting the heinous crimes, all the evidence proved seemed to be circumstantial, questions from both sides of the fence were put to the defendants and reasons and explanations were provided as answers. The film didn?t seem to actually show any proof of solid compelling evidence, despite your instincts feeling the outcome.

• Jason S

  
  A good doc about a horrific crime. It's really hard to watch the first chunk of the movie as we are told and shown the facts of the crime. We see the crime scene and the bodies. We hear the known facts about what has occurred. As the film continues we see the people left… More
  A good doc about a horrific crime. It's really hard to watch the first chunk of the movie as we are told and shown the facts of the crime. We see the crime scene and the bodies. We hear the known facts about what has occurred. As the film continues we see the people left behind try and come to some sort of closure as the trials begin and end.<br/>We as the viewers draw our own conclusions based on what we are able to see from the snippets of the court proceedings but we have to remember that we aren't privy to the whole trial and that we are missing information. <br/>In the end we know that the murders are horrific and evil. We also need to wonder if the trials are fair and if the system is just.<br/>I just hope this never happens again.

• Bruce B

  
  A Great HBO Real Life Court Drama. About 3 Children being killed in west Memphis. I personally beleive that Jason Baldwin is innocent, Damien Wayne Echols is Guilty and thinks he's a movie star. Jessie Miskelly I am not sure about. But the evidance is lacking. Maybe in the 2nd… More
  A Great HBO Real Life Court Drama. About 3 Children being killed in west Memphis. I personally beleive that Jason Baldwin is innocent, Damien Wayne Echols is Guilty and thinks he's a movie star. Jessie Miskelly I am not sure about. But the evidance is lacking. Maybe in the 2nd film more will come to light. I do beleive the father of one of the slayen boys is tied in with the crime, this is not a hollywood Movie but a real event filmed on location. Not for Children to watch.

• jd c

  
  This one is truly horrifying. It's shocking, ugly, depressing and repulsive. This documentary will definitely leave some sort of mark on you and I'm sure you won't be able to shake it off that easily. It's based on the true story of "The West Memphis… More
  This one is truly horrifying. It's shocking, ugly, depressing and repulsive. This documentary will definitely leave some sort of mark on you and I'm sure you won't be able to shake it off that easily. It's based on the true story of "The West Memphis 3"(Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley, Jason Baldwin), who "supposedly" murdered three young children in the Robin Hood Hills area of West Memphis, Arkansas. They say that Damien Echols, the alleged ringleader, was partially influenced by Death Metal and that he dressed in black clothes and practiced in the Wicca religion. These were just a few subjects that were brought to the people's attention at the trial. The West Memphis 3 still sit in prison till this day and there are many who actually believe that the three defendants were wrongfully convicted at the trial. Damien Echols was sentenced to death. Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwinwere were sentenced to life in prison. The Murders at Robin Hood Hills: "Three eight year old boys(Steve Branch, Christopher Byers, and Michael Moore), were found stripped naked and had been hog-tied with their own shoelaces: their right ankles tied to their right wrists behind their backs, the same with their left limbs. Their clothing was found in the creek, some of it twisted around sticks that had been thrust in the muddy creek bed. The clothing was mostly turned inside-out; two of the boys' underwear was never recovered. All of the boys had been severely beaten about their heads and faces, and Byers further had a fractured skull. Chris Byers had deep lacerations and injuries to his scrotum and penis. The original autopsies were inconclusive as to time of death, but stated that Byers died of blood loss (from either stab wounds or a deep head wound), and the other boys drowned." You have to watch this documentary and tell me what you think. You might actually think that they're innocent because at the trial there were just so many things that really didn't sound right. Or you might just agree with the courts and believe that justice was well served. You'll know more what I'm talking about when you see this documentary. It's scary. This is real life horror, and it's actually more terrifying then most horror films out there. The good news is that you can watch the whole thing on YouTube. Last time I checked they had the whole documentary in several parts, but be warned, the subject matter in this is disturbing as Hell. Just go to YouTube and type in "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills" There is also a sequel to this documentary titled Paradise Lost 2: Revelations. <a href="http://s294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/JDHallowEEn/?action=view¤t=West.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/JDHallowEEn/West.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

• John B

  
  Sinofsky and Berlinger are top rate documentarians in dealing with unexplainable crimes. This one however does not have the pace of Brother's Keeper and is a less memorable work when compared to that one.

• Daniel P

  
  "<i>Shortly after three eight-year-old boys were found mutilated and murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas, local newspapers stated the killers had been caught. The police assured the public that the three teenagers in custody were definitely responsible for these horrible… More
  "<i>Shortly after three eight-year-old boys were found mutilated and murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas, local newspapers stated the killers had been caught. The police assured the public that the three teenagers in custody were definitely responsible for these horrible crimes. Evidence? <p>The same police officers coerced an error-filled "confession" from Jessie Misskelley Jr., who is mentally handicapped. They subjected him to 12 hours of questioning without counsel or parental consent, audio-taping only two fragments totaling 46 minutes. Jessie recanted it that evening, but it was too late-- Misskelley, Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols were all arrested on June 3, 1993, and convicted of murder in early 1994. <p>Although there was no physical evidence, murder weapon, motive, or connection to the victims, the prosecution pathetically resorted to presenting black hair and clothing, heavy metal t-shirts, and Stephen King novels as proof that the boys were sacrificed in a satanic cult ritual. Unfathomably, Echols was sentenced to death, Baldwin received life without parole, and Misskelley got life plus 40.</i>" - from <a href=http://www.wm3.org><u>wm3.org</u></a><p> This film documents a huge miscarriage of justice where a guilty verdict was reached based on an unreliable statement and because the three accused listened to heavy metal music. Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky don't make judgements - they don't have to - this film speaks for itself. Prepare to be shocked and angered beyond belief. <p><i>"Life is but a walking shadow. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing."</i> - A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. <p><i>"Pure black, looking clear, My work is done soon here, Try getting back to me, Get back which used to be."</i> - Harvester of Sorrow by Metallica, from the album Injustice For All.

• Leo L

  
  Interesting

• Christopher B

  
  Great doc from the maker of Brother's Keeper that once again asks the viewer to look deeper into an open and shut case. The boys who are found guilty of murder under dubious circumstances angle is very good, yet I worry that Berlinger is playing on emotions rather than hard… More
  Great doc from the maker of Brother's Keeper that once again asks the viewer to look deeper into an open and shut case. The boys who are found guilty of murder under dubious circumstances angle is very good, yet I worry that Berlinger is playing on emotions rather than hard facts.

• Eduardo C

  
  Absolutely harrowing. Yes, it makes me angry and yes, it makes me sad but above all else, it haunts me. For those who still insist on separating between 'films' and 'documentaries' come award season, they should be forced to watch this, its 'sequel' and… More
  Absolutely harrowing. Yes, it makes me angry and yes, it makes me sad but above all else, it haunts me. For those who still insist on separating between 'films' and 'documentaries' come award season, they should be forced to watch this, its 'sequel' and Grizzly Man on loop until it hits them. There's not much else I can say. 3 kids convicted solely on the fact they listened to heavy metal while the most likely suspect parades around, all but confessing on camera. The film's big reveal is absolutely shocking, and might help to explain some things, but also ultimately changes nothing. Watch it back to back with its follow-up: Paradise Lost 2: Revelations.

Read all 16 featured audience ratings