Lost for Life (2013)

This film focuses on youth offenders, who were given life sentences for the crimes they committed. The question is, should a persons entire life be determined by one act they committed as a teenager? Several of these people are interviewed and the overwhelming opinion is that most of them don't deserve to remain where they are, despite what they've done. In fact a new law is going to allow for lifers, convicted as teenagers, to have their case re-examined after a specific amount of time, based on the nature of the crime. Given the people interviewed in this film, it's easy to say they deserve a second chance. Who doesn't feel for a kid, who was with a crazy friend at the wrong time, and convicted of felony murder, just for being there? Who doesn't feel that a fifteen year old, who killed his sexual abusive parents, twenty years ago, shouldn't be released? It's easy to feel this way when presented with these types of offenders, but what about the people they didn't interview? The kids who brutally kill, just to see what it feels like or the kid who goes into school and shoots a dozen people because he's been bullied, do they deserve a second chance at freedom? I don't argue with the fact that a persons development isn't fully complete by the time they are a teenagers. I also don't argue that this lack of maturity leads to their stupid decisions. In some rare cases, these cases should be re-examined. However, when someone is so broken, that they kill for fun and without remorse, even at a young age, they are broken, and until we knows for certain how to fix them, they belong behind bars. What does everyone else think?

The documentary was pretty standard. If you have common sense and watch the killers in each story, it's fairly obvious who was the "brains" or psychopath, and who actually has remorse. I know remorse doesn't matter to all, but it does to me. I'll let you draw your own conclusions, but it's there, and it's blatant. In one story (if you bother to look) one of the killers committed suicide in prison, while the other (the one who actually caused the deaths and is in the documentary) blatantly said he felt no remorse. Honestly, t can't feel much sympathy for many people who decide to take another life, regardless of age. There are a couple in this film, though, that I believe deserve a second chance...they also happen to be the ones not pandering for it.

You cannot go into this film with a hard opinion. The first story that is presented makes you laugh because you are so so glad these sickos are in prison until they die. But as the film progresses you start to see all of the different backgrounds, all of the different crimes committed by these teenagers and you start to think. One inmate said it best. The trauma he endured via his parents must have been due to their own horrible childhoods and he gained an understanding of them that he didn't have at 15. That doesn't mean he's innocent and deserves a second chance. But our US justice system is based on REHABILITATION and i personally feel that we deserve to try and fix these broken children. To say that they should never be free again without even trying to make progress/closure with both the victims family and the killers family is sad. Maybe we can make a difference instead of throwing away the key. But then you hear another inmate clearly deny any involvement or guilt with his parents basically speaking for him make you feel that there is no hope for this guy. But this is what the film is about. Showing the differences between these criminals. One size does not fit all and that is the difficult part about how we structure our courts and jails. Excellent job this is a documentary I will absolutely visit again.

I'm really not sure how to review this one.It's hard- I'm not sure what the intent of the movie was. It certainly gave some insight into the history of many notable cases and gave some somewhat chilling insight into those locked up for their wrong doings. Did it make me think that mandatory life sentences should be scrapped?No! If anything, it makes me glad it's in place.This was hard to watch in that some of the detail was graphic- and I'm sure there's always two sides to every story, but in this instance they've been found guilty of their crimes. It's also hard to watch one inmate in particular as he sits there with his parents and they talk about how he is innocent and was led astray by the other offender. Really? The video that they both made pre and post the murder seemed pretty clear cut to me!It's definitely a thought provoking documentary. But is chilling at the same time. I wonder what the victims family think of it?