Girl in the Basement (2021) // A Grim, Disturbing True-Crime Drama That Sticks With You
Girl in the Basement is one of those movies that’s so uncomfortable you almost want to stop, but you can’t look away. Not because it’s some flashy thriller, but because of how raw and disturbing it is, especially knowing it’s inspired by a true story.
Let’s talk plot without getting too spoilery:
It follows Sara, a teenage girl desperate to get out from under her controlling father, Don. But instead of letting her go, he locks her in the basement for years, decades even, subjecting her to unspeakable abuse.
The film traces her time trapped below while her mother, sister and love interest above believes she’s run away.
My Review (purely subjective)
I can’t remember the last time a movie made me feel so deeply to the point of tears. What breaks me the most about this particular film is that, it is not just an enactment - it’s an enactment of someone’s reality. The trauma, the horror, the assault, subjugation, hostility and confinement. At first I thought it was just another rage bait until I remembered I had come across the documentary on TikTok. Hot tears streamed down my cheeks. What kind of father would confine his daughter to a basement? Not only was the confinement enough punishment, he sexually assaulted her. Not once, not twice, he kept going. No conscience. No sense of humanity.
What’s brutal about this film isn’t just the premise (which is already horrifying) but how ordinary it all looks. There’s no horror-movie gloss or stylized violence here. It’s grimy, small-scale, and personal which makes it feel more real and upsetting.
Another upsetting aspect is the gaslighting. Don’s use of the traditional stereotype of motherhood. The claims that motherhood tames a woman; makes us think outside the box, teaches us respect and the list goes on. He took good advantage of this, isolating her, putting her through psychological distress. Not once, not twice. And all the police did was cuff him and move him away like a human. Lol. In the end all he got was a mere declaration of a life imprisonment. He gets to eat, drink, play cards and walk around breathing till he’s tired of life and death knocks. He gets to die naturally when he almost took the life of those innocent humans in the cruelest way imaginable. Very funny.
All Sara wanted was to see the world. To love and be loved. To live. But she needed no more enemies when she had a father who swore to stand on those beautiful dreams, smashing them to dust.
Honestly, there’s nothing I appreciate about this movie. It hurts me and will hurt me in days to come.
If I’m to talk about the characters, then it’s Stefanie Scott. She brings this raw, trapped energy to the role of Sara. You see her break and rebuild over the years and it’s gutting.
It’s clear this film was made to provoke outrage and sympathy, oh well, it worked! What else should I expect from a grim, true-crime drama meant to show the real-life horrors of control, abuse and survival? I’m disturbed, sad and angry. Of course that’s the point.
All in all, I’d say, choose the kindest partner for your children.
Would I recommend this film? Depends. If you’re up for a deeply upsetting but important watch that doesn’t shy away from hard truths, then yes. Just be prepared cause it’s harrowing and not for the faint of heart. If you’re looking for something “fun” or suspenseful in a popcorn way, this isn’t it.
Rating? I’d give it a 7/10. Not flawless as a film, but undeniably affecting.