Sunday, April 4, 2010

Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door

For a long time I have always said Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho was the scariest book and movie I had ever read or seen until I just watched this film based on Jack Ketchum's novel which was based or inspired by a true story. As my friend Geoff always says, if the "based on a true story" tag line is there it is always a hook to see a movie but it seems most of the films that have this moniker are always horrific in nature. This story is about a young girl in the 50's who is brutalized and tortured by the woman and her sons that she and her sister are forced to live with after the death of her parents and how the neighborhood kids are pulled in to participate in the domestic violence. The movie could have easily just fallen in to pure exploitation but it does not cross the line and the moral outrage and the inability of our child protagonist to stop what is happening to Meg is truly heart wrenching. This is not an easy film to watch but it does show that the 50s where not the happy times that nostalgia would have us believe and is well worth seeing if you can take it.

Click here to check out the official website.

2 comments:

jessi said...

This movie was difficult to watch and made me upset. As i watched and cried for this girl I came to a conclusion that ,this is a movie all women should watch. Now and days women aren't as cautious for their children or even themselves and its a huge reminder that things like these do happen. Its horrific and the movie came out wonderfully, you are convinced it is happening and makes you feel powerful emotions. I was 17 when i watched it and it truely did alert me and still after two years it has yet to leave my mind.

Shaee said...

This movie was terrible to me because that was wrong what they did to her by beating her, starving her, and rapping, and burning her and she wasnt nothen but an innocent lil gurl it m
ade me feel sad and never wanting to watch the movie again.