The West Memphis Three made national headlines and found itself the subject of two documentaries -- 'Paradise Lost' and 'West of Memphis' -- but now the tragically true-to-life story has been brought to life with the debut of the new 'Devil's Knot' trailer.

Colin Firth and Reese Witherspoon headline 'Devil's Knot,' directed by Atom Egoyan, in the story that made national headlines in the early '90s: after three 8-year-old boys are found dead, three teens are arrested for the crime with rumors of Satanic cult involvement buzzing in the background. After two were give life in prison and one was given the death penalty, while all vehemently proclaimed their innocence, all three were released from jail in 2011 after striking a special deal where they pled "no contest" in a retrial. Firth plays private investigator Ron Lax and Witherspoon plays Pamela Hobbs, the mother of one of the murdered boys.

It's challenging subject matter and if the feature adaptation is half as effective as 'Paradise Lost' and 'West of Memphis,' it'll leave audiences exhausted in their seats. Even the "happy ending" is downbeat. This has the potential to be the feel-bad movie of 2014, but also one of the most compelling. If this story doesn't leave you angry, you probably don't have a soul.

'Devil's Knot' will arrive in theaters on May 9.

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