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Rating:  - David, you're NEXT!
"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!!
Rating:  - Daring Film
This film is both morally and mentally disturbing. The subject matter is such a sensitive topic to people, This film captures what some youth actually have to live with. In a way this film is similar to "Funny Games". The story revovles around a sick mother and her children that are very abusive in sexual manner to her children. Torturing, humilating and rape. Disturbing indeed, This film has some hardcore scenes. Hardcore as in wrong and disturbing. Such as the womans teenage son raping a local teenage girl. Most people will be completly repulsed by this film, But for those that are fans of psychological horror or crime should watch it.
The film is very familiar to the book, But if the subject of children being subjected to this type of these things. Don't bother with this movie.
Recommended for those that like these films:
"In A Glass Cage"
"Salo"
"Apt Pupil"
Rating: - Disturbing Movie about Abuse
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.
Rating: - Jaw-dropping
First of all, every one of the children in this film are phenomenal young actors! The directing is outstanding. Very well paced too. There is no way you can view this film and not feel some of your strongest emotions. Convincing? So brutal, but this is so realistically done that you can't help but imagine yourself getting your hands on some of these characters. Excellent film making.
Rating: - Do you know 'The Girl Next Door?'
Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door came to me by chance off of an Amazon.com recommendation. Although I do have the book, I have not read through it at the time of the review, so I will keep my review restricted to what the movie has, as I have not read the book.
The Girl Next Door is a story about a girl named Meg. Meg has a hard past, but doesn't reveal much of it to David, mostly due to her insecurity and the reason why David asks, because she has a scar on her arm.
Meg's just recently moved in with her sister to live with her aunt, Ruth.
Everybody knows Ruth as a good woman...
Of course, we already know from previous horror movies that evil can hide behind a beautiful woman or a good personality, and this is just what happens with Ruth. Behind a good-natured exterior lies a manic woman who's soul purpose is to make Meg's life a living hell.
Although David witnesses terrible acts of abuse to the younger sister, Jenny, and ultimately what happens to Meg, he doesn't do anything. This is one of the main flaws of the movie. This is a kind of flaw that's an obvious plot hole. It makes the viewer go, `Why?' I already stated that I wouldn't address the book within this review, so I won't go into the mechanics of the book/movie might tie in and thread the loose plot holes together.
In all, The Girl Next Door is a movie that is terrifying and at the same time, thought-provoking. All movies based off of true stories--and even in fictional tales--always make us ponder the reasons behind a person's violence or murderous intentions. Why, you ask, does Ruth behave the way she does? And why, you ask, would young boys play with a girl's emotions through mind games, torture and rape?
The Girl Next Door is a movie that will make your stomach turn, and it's a story that's bound to make you want to delve deeper into the Sylvia Likens case. It gets a four out of five from me, the one star lost because of a plot hole that should have been better explained or fleshed out.
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