The Girl Next Door - Gregory Wilson

There are films we see sometimes that defy our pride as humans because to understand it would mean that humanity is the cruelest of beasts. "The Girl Next Door" is not a film that deserves multiple viewings but should be seen at least once; the subject is hard to stomach and the acting is done so well, that one could literally feel ashamed by sitting through it. The viewer becomes a witness to cruelty, yet the cruelty is not exploitative nor is it over the top, it is simple and real. Often I find that the implication is worse than seeing the cruelty in its entirety, one can only imagine what the person is going through yet our minds do the rest.

Although the film is based on a real occurence that took place during the 1950s, the film, I argue, is symbolic of the mysterious and secretive cultural expectation that was prominent during this new era of suburbia and closed doors. Although I have not read Jack Ketchum's book, I feel the film stands on its own because of the care and sensitivity that was taken to make it.

Watching the "making of" featurette was enlightening to say the least because many of the actors in the film were children and, considering the subject matter, great care and sensitivity was taken to make sure that the actors were comfortable with the material, and Wilson appears to have approached the script with great sensitivity.

The characters of Ruth and Meg, played by Blanche Baker and Blythe Auffarth respectively, were consistently opposites in both character and motive and that certainly embellished the immense tension that would evolve into the final outcome. It is nice to see a film that can remain sensitive to the subject of abuse without showing any signs of exploitation. On a human level, this film certainly educates us on the cruelties that take place when the doors are closed.