The Girl Next Door (2007) on Netflix
In the summer of 1958, orphaned Meg Loughlin and her disabled sister Susan move in with their aunt Ruth Chandler. Neighbor David Moran is drawn to Meg as Ruth's discipline grows cruel.
- Netflix3.4/5
- IMDb6.4/1032,522 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes67%
Trailer
Plot summary
In 2007, David Moran sees a man struck by a car in New York City and tries to revive him. That night he recalls the summer of 1958, when he met Meg Loughlin, the girl who became his first crush. Meg and her disabled sister Susan lost both parents in a car crash, and the sisters were taken in by their aunt, Ruth Chandler, who had three sons, Willie, Ralphie, and Donny. Ruth lets her sons' young friends, David among them, drink beer and smoke in her house, while she starves Meg and calls her a whore. When Meg strikes Ralphie for touching her, Ruth punishes Susan in front of her and takes the ring necklace that belonged to Meg's mother. Meg reports the abuse to Officer Lyle Jennings.
Cast
- Benjamin Ross Kaplanas Donny Chandler (as Ben Kaplan)
- Austin Williamsas Ralphie 'Woofer' Chandler
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Girl Next Door (2007)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- The film is based on Jack Ketchum's 1989 novel of the same name, which was itself inspired by a real-life murder; the movie is dedicated to the victim of that crime.
- Author Stephen King praised the film as "the first authentically shocking American film I've seen since Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) over 20 years ago", and called it the dark-side-of-the-moon version of Stand by Me.
- Another film about the same case, An American Crime, leans more in the direction of a true crime portrayal; it was scheduled for release at roughly the same time, but did not appear until a Showtime premiere on May 10, 2008.
