Trailer Link

Release Date:

May 9, 2014

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “The savage murders of three young children sparks a controversial trial of three teenagers accused of killing the kids as part of a satanic ritual.”

Poster: B-

Review: There’s a need to sell the film’s stars to American audiences who don’t seem to respond if they don’t know who’s in a film. Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth both featuring so prominently helps center the audience’s attention. From there, its simplicity doesn’t suit itself to mass viewership, though the three unsuspecting youngsters ground the design in reality.

Trailer: B+

Review: I know I shouldn’t expect much out of the film, but the producers have done a good job getting the highlights of the film’s true story elements out to the viewer. They ratchet up the emotional strengths of the narrative and make Witherspoon an incredibly convincing central figure. Firth isn’t given much to do, but that may not be a bad thing.

Oscar Prospects:

A May release pretty much spells doom for a film with Oscar aspirations these days. Why they would position it so early in the year remains a mystery unless it really isn’t as good as it seems. The dramatic elements would seem to put Reese Witherspoon in the limelight as a potential Best Actress nominee and the film covers a controversial topic, which could make it an Oscar contender otherwise.

Revisions:

(March 16, 2014) Original