Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills Movie Review

Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills is a deeply sobering film experience. Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky (Brother's Keeper) had astonishing access to the Arkansas case, from the discovery of the children's bodies to client-lawyer discussions, from the tearful anguish of the victim's families to chilling rationalizations by the convicted killers. Some segments are eerily myopic as when the West Memphis townspeople are advised not to talk to the media while Berlinger and Sinofsky record the whole thing on video. (Weren't THEY part of the media?) Later, Berlinger and Sinofsky even supply the court with crucial evidence obtained directly from a witness. The grisly details and straightforward presentation contribute to the feeling that you're watching a docuDRAMA, not the matter-of-fact documentary that it is.

1995 150m/C D: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky; C: Robert Richman. VHS, Closed Caption