The Girl Next Door
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Movie Reviews of The Girl Next Door
Movie Review: Brutal drama/horror flick based on a true story.
Summary: 5 Stars
Girl Next Door is a controversial new movie from Gregory M. Wilson based on a true incident helmed "the most horrific crime commited against one single person" and Stephen King call's this movie "The first authentically shocking American film since Henry:Portrait of a Serial Killer", and I actually agree with that statement all the way. It's a very hard-to-watch disturbing film with high production values, very sad, but very well made. I would actually think of it more as a disturbing drama flick than an actual horror film though.
The true story took place in the 60's when a woman Gertrude Baniszewski offered to shelter 2 sisters Sylvia and Jenny Liken's while their parent's traveled with the carnival. Gertrude automatically took a disliking to one of the sister's Sylvia. She then manipulaed the neighborhood children (as well as her own) into punishing and torturing Sylvia in some of the most horrific way's imaginable. This is a true and horrific crime that more people should be aware of, even though this film can be hard to sit through I think it is good the story is finally being told.
As close to the original story The Girl Next Door is I think it would have been more believable to follow the true event's a little more closely. The most interesting aspect I think the filmaker's left out of the film was how in real life people were told of the horrific crime's but nothing was done to help Sylvia, I think would have been an extremely intersting element to add to the movie. Also in the real story Gertrude was a truly mentally unstable woman who had a lot of her own mental and sexual issue's, but the movie does not touch upon the real mental state of Gertrude Baniszewski, but instead make's the antagonist "Aunt Ruth" seem fully aware of all her horrible action's and somewhat mentally stable. I think it would have been more interesting and beleivable to show just how mentally deranged this person really was. In real life she manipulated the neighberhood kid's into believing that Sylvia was bad person and she needed to be punished, but there is no manipulation in the movie, which make's the kid's action's seem like there was no reason other than pure cold heartedness. Also in the real story all of the event's (torture) took place over a couple of month's, and in the movie it make's the torture like it is a scheduled (daily) event, opposed to what was really "punishment" in the antagonists' eye's.
Other than those minor complaint's Girl Next Door is an extremely horrific,depressing and well made film without using extreme violence or gore, but still make's you feel like the sicko that you are for watching it, just how I like it. Highly Recommended.
Movie Review: The systematic destruction of something innocent and beautiful
Summary: 5 Stars
This got to me, although I've already seen "An American Crime" and am familiar with true story this was based on. the story of Sylvia Likens, the worst torture murder ever to take place in the state of Indiana.
Like I said, it was loosely based on a true story, the people who actually did this were even more monstrous still and the death of Sylvia Likens was even more tragically pointless. It makes me angry that they were given leniant sentences as permitted to continue breathing. Sylvia's torture lasted for three months. Fiction as it tends to be, is softened by the author in a quest for some sort of overall meaning, something that will make a difficult story okay. No one wants to read a pointless book about the some of the most vile people to walk the earth and hear of their suffering without gleaning some sort of meaning from it. Jack Ketchum did well in this respect, and this is my first acquaintance with his work.
Be warned, the true story, if you do decide to read it, is very grim. Lots of people saw what was going on but chose to ignore it. Sylvia spent her last night alive pounding on the basement floor with a shovel trying to get someone to help her. The neighbors heard, and were disturbed by the noise, but none of them called the police. The things they did to her and made her do are unthinkably horrible. Her body was covered with 150 plus cigarette burns, she bit through her lip so hard it was partially severed. So many elements make this into a nightmare. I took what light I could from a couple of small parts. Sylvia, her last night alive bravely telling her sister Jenny that "she knew Jenny didn't want her to die, but she was going to. She could feel it." And Sylvia telling that awful Gertrude to feed her stupid crackers to the dog who was "hungrier than her" her last night alive.
All in all, good adaptation, it was nice to see someone trying to protect her. No one helped the real Sylvia Likens.
Movie Review: Disturbing Movie about Abuse
Summary: 5 Stars
Plot: The present day... A man takes out a picture and starts reminiscing about his childhood and reflecting on his life. The story then Backtracks to the 1950's when he was a child. Everything starts off normal... It looks like the perfect 50's town and a normal group of kids playing an innocent game.
From here you're introduced to a bunch of characters including the 'Girl Next Door', along with her brothers and sisters. She is an orphan who is living in a household with her sister along with their disturbed mother and her kids...
The boy ends up taking a liking to the girl next door and from there all goes downhill as you see what is really going on behind closed doors. The girl is being abused by the mother, the kid knows about it and he's powerless to stop it. As the story progresses you can feel the tension slowly mounting as the abuse gets worse and worse..
You see the slow progression of the abuse escalate as it goes from bad to shocking. The neighborhood kids and brothers of the orphaned girl are bonding and participating in this girls abuse but with the role model they have you have to wonder if they are a product of their environment or if they are as cold blooded as the mother. I'd also like to add that the woman who plays the mother is the scariest thing I've ever seen....
During this film you're hoping the abuse will let up- It's relentless. By the end of the movie you are left wondering along with the victims how someone could possibly do those kinds of things to a human.
All I can think of to describe this movie is it's like watching a train wreck. You feel as helpless as the victim and cant stop what's coming yet you wish you could. It instills a sense of dread and realism that not many films can. This is one of the most uncomfortable movies i've ever seen. A very powerful film, Theres no way you cannot be effected by it. This isnt horror, but it's scarier.
Movie Review: David, you're NEXT!
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Girl Next Door" is as sick and depraved as it gets! The fact that it is based on a true story makes it that much more horrific (the true story is incredible-this little girl suffered the tortures of the damned enough for ten lifetimes)! Meg (the "girl" of the title)and her younger sister are orphaned, and placed with "Aunt Ruth". Ruth already has a brood she somewhat cares for. For some unknown reason, Ruth takes exception to Meg (maybe jealousy?) and becomes the ringleader in torturing Meg for nothing more than her own depraved pleasure. One boy, David, sees the going's on, and increasingly becomes concerned for Meg. He is in no real position to do anything, but does attempt to call the police, but Ruth is a master at manipulation, herself, and placates the cop at her door.
The tortures become more and more painful in nature, leaving Meg with not only mental scars, but physical ones as well. In the end, Meg is saved, but a little too late.
I have read the real story behind "The Girl Next Door", and was almost brought to tears, alternating with anger at the human animals who perpetrated the crime. The girl was shown no mercy during the time she was held and tortured, and the majority of kids who participated were never punished! Even the mother, through legal wrangling, got life rather than the death penalty (another horrendous miscarriage of justice).
I found this film to be "Watered down Kool Aid" compared to the true events it was based on, but an unnerving film, nonetheless. There are some interesting extras: a making-of, that has interviews of the cast and crew, as well as the Author of the book of the same name. this feature is informative, as it gives some insight into making a film like this.
All-in-all, a solid five stars!!
Movie Review: A traumatic cross-breeding of horror imposed
Summary: 5 Stars
Slice off a piece of Kids and Hostel. Tear off a chunk of Irreversible and Misery. Then if you mix in a heavy dose of Wonder Years, Stand By Me, and Salo, you might get a hint of The Girl Next Door. It really is one of the most disheartening, haunting, and inhumane depictions of overwhelming evil.
This movie is based on a true story of a teen girl who suffers unspeakable abuse in the basement of her house. There is much more to this story than just child torture though. It's also a period piece, a love story, a coming-of-age story. There are heavy themes of authority, choices, morality, secrets. Each scene is an essential patch woven into an absorbing tapestry. It won't give you a warm feeling inside.
The director Gregory Wilson does an amazing job working with these kids. There are some devastating, adult situations that I'm pretty sure some of the young cast wasn't actually present for. At least I hope not. Additionally, I was impressed with how much of the horror occurs off screen, the implied brutality will leave scorching images in your mind.
This film is pretty close to perfect, as far as disturbing cinema goes. The only slight problem I had was how nearly all the kids seemed to immediately transform from childhood playmates to sadistic little psychopaths. Hopefully no kids are this evil. Their wicked, overbearing aunt manipulated them pretty easily. There might have been some time constraints, but this extreme change happened rather quickly.
This doesn't take anything away from the staggering effects of this horrendous story. It's a sick diversion, a film that will submerge itself deep into your mind and fester there for long after. Proceed with caution.