New York Film Festival: Film Number 3 for the West Memphis 3

The infamous case of the West Memphis 3—three men convicted 18 years ago for the grisly murder of three young boys in Arkansas—came to a close in August when the state allowed them to walk free, following new evidence that cast doubt on their guilt. But you could also say that the cause célèbre surrounding them played a hand, too: They were boosted by a massive grassroots campaign that counted stars like Natalie Maines and Eddie Vedder as supporters.

New York Film Festival: Film Number 3 for the West Memphis 3

Expect their story to get another boost when "Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory," the latest installment in Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky's documentary series about their case, receives its world premiere at the New York Film Festival next week. (The film premieres on HBO in January.) The docu duo have been chronicling the West Memphis 3 since their first film, "Paradise Lost," was released in 1996.

This latest entry is a rich forensic and historical trove, recapping the past while quickly bringing audiences up to speed on new evidence, new suspects and new personal developments. A lot of meaty twists here, including accusations that the father of one of the victims might actually be the killer, and that the purported satanic rituals pegged as the trio's original motive were bogus. But there are also humanistic moments, like when we discover how a Brooklyn woman moved to Arkansas to advocate for one of the men and then ended up as his wife.

Berlinger and Sinofsky document the revelations with meticulous, obsessive fervor. Here, they not only indict a flawed justice system, but also a culture of mass hysteria that irrevocably convicted the three suspects in the public eye.

"This happened at a time when there was this wave of satanic hysteria even though the FBI discredited all of those claims," Berlinger says at a press conference following a screening of the film at the festival. "But this was a region of the country where people literally believe in heaven and hell, and that the devils walk amongst us."

Sinofsky, sitting next to Berlinger, adds that the case was exacerbated by what he calls a "bully pulpit" that fueled a lynch-mob mentality. "Every Sunday, they were talking about the West Memphis 3 and their guilt. And when you had ministers going on the local news saying how guilty they were before jury selection, Joe and I would look at easy other and say, These guys are toast."

Now people have backpedaled, and one of the film's most satisfying moments features old interviews of folks who once condemned the men pitted against recent clips of them professing their support.
The story may be far from over, though. To barter for their release, the West Memphis 3 had to technically plead guilty while maintaining their innocence—a head-scratching quirk in the justice system. They've always maintained their innocence, and are keen on clearing their names. Do we see a "Paradise Lost 4" coming down the pike?