What It's About:

In West Memphis, Arkansas, 1993, three 8-year old-boys are found mutilated, their bodies tossed into a shallow creek, and soon arrests are made. Tragically, the three suspects-Damian Nichols, Jason Baldwin, and Jesse Miskelly-are just teenagers themselves, but also, according to police investigators, supposed Satan worshippers. As the community's hostility toward the black-clad, heavy metal-loving kids mounts, and a trial date approaches, the boys vehemently declare their innocence. Are they really guilty or did someone else commit the crime?

Why I Love It:

Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky's intensely disturbing true-crime tale "Paradise Lost" examines the confounding details of the infamous kiddie murders at Robin Hood Hills. The children-killed-by-children theme is scary enough, but the trial and its outcome leave a sour, uncertain taste, as the prosecution case is built mostly around the confession (under duress) of one defendant, who's just on the cusp of being mentally handicapped. Be warned: this unnerving film contains graphic images of the victims. But just as unsettling is the feeling that in this case, our society and criminal justice system may have failed us-and those kids.