8. The Girl Next Door (2007)
Inspired by: The murder of Sylvia Likens
Not to be confused with the 2004 teen comedy of the same name, The Girl Next Door is actually based on Jack Ketchum’s 1989 novel (also of the same name), and it’s all based on a true story (with the exception of the 2004 teen comedy, of course).
The Girl Next Door isn’t a well-known film, but it is infamous for its brutal portrayal of a truly heinous crime. Without going into too much detail, it documents one boy’s discovery that his crush and her sister are being subjected to abuse, which then escalates into rape and torture as he’s forced to watch.
If you’re not squeamish, it’s one to watch, but the worst part is that the events depicted in the film are – by and large – true. The Girl Next Door was based on the real life murder of Sylvia Likens in 1965.
Sylvia and her sister Jenny were temporarily taken in by Gertrude Baniszewski, who lived alone with her seven children. When Lester Likens, Sylvia’s father, fell behind on his payments to Baniszewski for the girls’ boarding, she began beating them. Shortly after, she began starving them, too.
From there, the abuse continued to escalate in ways that are too unpleasant to document here. If you’re interested in reading about some of the most disgustingly violent abuse ever documented, it’s all readily available elsewhere, but be warned, it’s not an easy read.
In many ways, the events of the film are less disturbing than the actually abuse Sylvia Likens suffered, as The Girl Next Door distills it all into 91 short minutes. The film is dedicated to Likens’ memory.