3 out of 5

Director: Gregory Wilson

Hm. Girl Next Door is based on a Jack Ketchum book, which was inspired by a true story. The true story (of a woman encouraging and also assisting children to abuse and eventually kill a girl she was meant to be caring for) is unbelievable in that way the true stories are, and disturbing in its implications for how easily led people can be. Having not read Ketchums novel, I cannot say how accurate the movie is in comparison, but the film does a good job of trying to expand the story a bit, making it not only filmable but trying to offer insight (something we may not get in reality) into what would have caused this woman to express such hatred toward her victim. Girl Next Door certainly has some terrifying moments, and if you are not accustomed to disturbing movies, than seeing children commit these atrocities will most certainly be frightening. However, I give credit to the director for finding a middle ground between depicting how awfully this girl was abused, but displaying it tastefully. This is the filmable aspect I mention – the story is a given a sympathetic protagonist (not present in the real story) who provides a good inroad for the viewer. Blanche Baker is amazing as the unhinged Aunt Ruth, and her acting and the well-paced plotting make the transition to the horrors believable. It also smartly weaves in displays of how children can be cutely callow (torturing insects, capturing crawfish). So why three stars? Its just not involving. Theres something about the production and filming thats a step removed – overly cheery and simple in some spots – and that keeps anything on screen from connecting. This isnt a documentary after all, and it allows for a narrative structure that builds up the torture and attempted escape of the suffering girl, so this lack of emotional context is – no pun intended – a killer. I have not seen, and am curious how the more factual An American Crime stacks up.