After the Devil is Dead
August 28th, 2026
MOVIE: AFTER THE DEVIL IS DEAD
STARRING: MIKE LESTER
DIRECTED BY: PAUL CATALANOTTO
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 105 MINUTES
The true-crime documentary is a massive industry in streaming and pop culture. Ask anyone you know, and they’ve most likely watched the latest documentary on Netflix, The Death of the Pastor’s Wife, a Hulu limited series about Gypsy Rose Blanchard, or listened to a podcast about a recent national crime. They all deliver the perfect amount of intrigue and mystery that viewers crave, and when done right, a true-crime documentary can be great. After the Devil is Dead will be a big hit for anyone looking for something haunting and tragic, telling the story of a man named Mike Lester, who seeks to put an end to the unsolved murder of his mother. It’s a strong true-crime documentary that reveals the darkest sides of humanity while bringing catharsis to the family involved.
It happened in New Orleans in 1982, when a house was set on fire, and the body of Edna Lester was found with 12 stab wounds. It was clearly a case of arson and murder, but what surrounded the story was a history of family dysfunction, police corruption, and the Southern Mafia, known as the “Dixieland Gang.” At the time this film was made, Edna’s murder was still considered unsolved. Director Paul Catalanotto and Mike follow all the connecting threads, capturing the full story of this tragic murder.
From a documentary standpoint, After the Devil is Dead works well because it has all the details necessary to tell a complete story. Personal interviews with Mike, old photographs, video footage, and newspaper clippings reveal that Catalanotto has done the appropriate research. At its core, this is a film that reveals Mike’s father, Russell Lester Sr., was the prime suspect in his mother’s death, but because of his career as a police officer, he was able to escape accountability for his crooked ways. Through his connections and constant abuse of his wife and children, this becomes a story of pure evil that still finds a way to explore the difficulty of resentment and trauma.
The main setbacks that keep Catalanotto’s film from being great are that it runs too long, particularly after the majority of the important details have already been revealed. I couldn’t help but hope that Lester’s story would be adapted into the next great true-crime feature, directed by the likes of Martin Scorsese, Scott Cooper, or David Fincher. There is a darker and more sinister story here about crooked police officers using their positions to wreak havoc on the people they’re supposed to love and protect.
After the Devil is Dead is the perfect example of how crime documentaries can capture both journalism and captivating storytelling. Catalanotto’s direction brings out a film that fully captures the horrors of people who are supposed to protect us becoming the true monsters we fear. The final result is a sense of peace for Mike Lester and a definitive answer surrounding his mother’s death. If this story is ever turned into a feature narrative, it could be thrilling, shocking, and incredibly cinematic. As a documentary, it is true crime done right.
3 STARS
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Written by: Leo Brady
