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Rating:  - It's Not True! Low Budget Horror Flick Claims To Be More, But Fails
"Based On A True Story" may be the most abused sentence in Hollywood history. "The Girl Next Door" claims variously to be "based on a true story", "inspired by actual events", etc. It is, however, an adaptation of a novel and while both may well have been "inspired" by a 1965 Indiana child abuse case, the only thing I could find in common between the film and the actual case was that significant portions of both took place in a basement.
Seen as a horror film, "The Girl Next Door" certainly delivers. It is indeed horrifying--shockingly so. The acting and direction are competent, and what appears to be a miniscule budget is extremely well-used. So if you like your frights with some "sick" overtones, this might be for you.
Viewed as a recounting of "actual events", however, this film fails miserably. For reasons of their own, both novelist and screenwriters included essentially nothing from the case which inspired the story. The time period is shifted to the 1950s, the location and basic situation are changed, and every one of the events is fictionalized. Perhaps most disturbingly, while drawing inspiration from a real-life child abuse case, the writers found it necessary to invent utterly grotesque torments to which the victim at the center of the movie is subjected and from which the camera just barely turns away. At that point, the film becomes an exercise in voyeurism, basically an exploitation film which, due to the age of the fictional victim and most of the other characters, has a decidedly unsavory feeling to it. I felt dirty after watching this movie. Not informed about a tragic and ugly historical event or about the horrors of child abuse, just used psychologically much as the film's victim was abused physically.
If you have seen the infinitely superior "An American Crime" and considered this film as a possible alternate view of the real-life case, forget it. And if you came upon this film first, do yourself a favor and see "An American Crime" instead.
Rating:  - The systematic destruction of something innocent and beautiful
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.
Rating:  - Watch an American Crime Instead
Unlike An American Crime this isn't a faithful adaptation, but more kiddie snuff porn with an academic leftist feminist propaganda bent to it. I would argue that this is for perverts with an agenda, (not necessarily that of compassion). Esp. given how relentlessly this script tried to force all kinds of Hollywood political correctness upon this story: For example they switched this to the 1950s when it took place in the '60s. It's ironically, of course, set in a clean peaceful luxurious suburb, which Hollywood always-nudge nudge wink wink-insists contains hidden evils. In reality this story took place in utter squalor; the single mother who commited this crime lived in such desperate squalor that her brood had to take turns sharing three spoons, stole clothes off other peoples lines, and vegetables out of other people's gardens.
This film endlessly tries to pound home the dangers of "patriarchy" when the reality was that this was a single mother doing and instigating all the abuse. (BTW women actually commit the majority of child abuse, not men.) And in reality, you should know, that while this girl was sexually humiliated, starved and and physically tortured to death, she was not raped and her clitoris was not burned off. The villain of this specific movie, who kind of reminded me of a campy Divine character, is given almost word for word speeches from Kate Millet's disingenuous feminist polemic on the real events. (Which makes you wonder who really hates women.)
And while thank God Laws have been passed since to protect children, keep in mind that the real life situation that Sylvia Lykens suffered and was immolated in is actually closer to the foster family situations that the government forces children into after taking them away from their families.
If out of human compassion you want to see the unimaginable ordeal of Sylvia Likens, watch An American Crime. (A film Which also screams for chivalry, personal responsibility and an abadonment of herd mentality-something so needed in the era of political correctness.) However, even An American Crime is not 100% faithful, because the reality of what happened to the actual victim is too horrible to be shown. But Girl Next Door is some of the most evil exploitation. It does nothing to honor the real Likens. Don't really know what to call it.
Rating:  - Faithful Adaptation
Having read THE GIRL NEXT DOOR by Jack Ketchum a year or two ago, I was mentally prepared for this one going into it. Anyone like me who has daughters is more than likely to feel more than a bit gut-wrenched after this. But aside from the extreme content, this film was actually well made. The aunt's slow almost unnoticeable descent into madness was expertly done and the film was not watered down, but rather captured the theme of the loss of innocence and the horrors of a mass hysteria of sorts.
It truly is mind boggling and depressing to dwell on the fact that this is based on a true event, and this is probably not the best date film or family night motion picture event. Get ready for some serious disturbia. The acting is great by some and not-so-great by others, but overall it was pulled off well and is a must-see for any Ketchum fans and those who enjoy real life extreme crime thrillers .
Rating: - Good but Tough to Watch
I want to say that I enjoyed this movie, but that would be a bad choice of words. the abuse and torture seem very real. The subject matter is very strong and the movie is well executed. It is difficult to watch at times, but worth the effort. The movie evokes real emotion and it difficult to comprehend that this really happened. I highly recommend this movie if you can take it. Not for the squeamish or very sensitive.
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