7. Into The Abyss (2011)
Capital punishment is on the list of things not to bring up on a first date. The death penalty is one of those topics that demands people take a side. There are those that are against it and believe that killing an individual regardless of the reason is wrong, while the other side cites exorbitant prison costs and a they deserve it mentality. I am not about to open that ugly can of worms and take a side, but it is a conversation that wont be ending anytime soon. One night in Conroe, Texas changed the lives of countless people. Michael Perry and Jason Burkett, now in prison were convicted of the murder of three individuals, all because they were looking to go for a joyride. Perry received the death sentence and Burkett got life; each one blames the other. The night of the murder is described and the effects on the entire community observed. However, the strongest focus is placed on the two inmates and how their current situation, especially Perrys with his interview filmed only eight days before his execution, has changed how they view the world and their actions. Michael Perry is the reason to see this film. He possesses a creepy quality that is quietly terrifying. His dark eyes are by no means dead; in fact he has a vitality that is hard to understand. He speaks with director Werner Herzog with ease and charm. It may just be the charm that ups his creepy factor. You can understand how anyone could be taken by this boy, despite a strong idea of the darkness he is capable of. The film is not preachy about its opinion on capital punishment. Herzog is against the death penalty but allows the audience to make up their own mind. Instead of looking to decide for you, Herzog seems more interested in continuing the conversation.
Into the Abyss does not try to make you believe that these boys are good, just that even the most heinous acts are being committed not by monsters but by people.