History YMMV / TheGirlNextDoor

* TookTheBadFilmSeriously: In this film adaptation of a novel that's been criticized for its insensitivity to a historical tragedy, it's generally acknowledged that Blythe Auffarth genuinely does her best with the material she's given despite the film's exploitative nature. Auffarth later stated in an interview that filming the torture scenes was a very harrowing experience for her, remarking that, "it's scary being helpless and it's humiliating hanging and dangling there, and it's even more petrifying to have your senses taken away from you."

* TheWoobie: Meg and Susan Loughlin go to live with their secluded aunt, Ruth Chandler, after the deaths of their parents. They are subjected to an escalating series of abuse climaxing with Meg getting bound and gagged in the basement, and forced to take punishments reserved for Susan. Meg is beaten, tortured, raped and ultimately given a forced clitorectomy before succumbing from her wounds, while Susan is molested by Ruth one instance of it resulting in her bleeding.

* TookTheBadFilmSeriously: In a film that's been criticized for its insensitivity to a historical tragedy, it's generally acknowledged that Blythe Auffarth genuinely does her best with the material she's given despite the film's exploitative nature. Auffarth later stated in an interview that filming the torture scenes was a very harrowing experience for her, remarking that, "it's scary being helpless and it's humiliating hanging and dangling there, and it's even more petrifying to have your senses taken away from you."

* TookTheBadFilmSeriously: In a film that's been criticized for its insensitivity to a historical tragedy, it's generally acknowledged that Blythe Auffarth genuinely does her best with the material she's given despite the film's exploitative nature. Auffarth later stated in an interview that the experience of filming the scenes where Meg is tied up and blindfolded was very harrowing for her and that she nearly broke down physically in the process.

* BrokenBase: While some credit the novel (and film) for raising public awareness of the Likens case, other feel that the [[{{Gorn}} excruciating detail]] it goes into portraying Meg's abuse, as well as the addition of explicit sexual violence that didn't occur in reality, make it come across as {{exploitat|ionFilm}}ive rather than informative.

* BrokenBase: While some credit the novel (and film) for raising public awareness of the Likens case, other feel that the [[{{Gorn}} excruciating detail]] it goes into portraying Meg's abuse as well as the addition of explicit sexual violence that didn't occur in reality make it come across as {{exploitat|ionFilm}}ive rather than informative.

* DuelingWorks: With ''Film/AnAmericanCrime,'' as both films were based on the Sylvia Likens murder. The difference was that ''An American Crime'' directly adapted the events rather than the loose approach this one took.

* NightmareFuel: A whole lot of [[NightmareFuel/TheGirlNextDoor the brutality and violence]].

* CompleteMonster: In this {{film|OfTheBook}} based on [[Literature/TheGirlNextDoor the novel]] (itself loosely based on a true story), [[EvilAunt Aunt]] [[WickedStepmother Rutherine]] "Ruth" Chandler takes [[WouldHurtAChild child abuse]] to horrifying new levels. Ruth believes that [[BoomerangBigot all women are whores]], and as such should be treated like animals. When her nieces Susan and Meg move in with her after the deaths of their parents, she subjects Meg to an escalating series of atrocities that include tying her to a post and ordering her sons and some of the neighborhood children to rape her, mutilating her with a blowtorch, and [[CripplingCastration forcibly removing her clitoris]], [[ForcedToWatch forcing David and Susan to watch]] as she does. She also [[IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure punishes Susan]], a [[DisabledMeansHelpless crippled]] girl, for her sister's perceived disobedience; she even goes as far as to inappropriately touch her as a means of keeping Meg in line. Manipulative and sadistic, Ruth is an utter nightmare of a mother.

* FridgeBrilliance : A lot of the discomfort in reading the novel comes from David's inertia. It's very frustrating when no one moves to save Meg, instead standing around and watching. After a while, you start to realize that's exactly what you're doing as a reader. A gentle sort of TakeThatAudience.

* TheWoobie: In this film and film adaptation VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory on the Sylvia Likens murder-case, Meg and Susan Loughlin go to live with their secluded aunt Ruth Chandler after the deaths of their parents. They are subjected to an escalating series of abuse climaxing with Meg getting bound and gagged in the basement, and forced to take punishments reserved for Susan. Meg is beaten, tortured, raped and ultimately given a forced clitorectomy before succumbing from her wounds, while Susan is molested by Ruth one instance of it resulting in her bleeding.

* CompleteMonster: In this {{film|OfTheBook}} based on [[Literature/TheGirlNextDoor the novel]] (itself loosely based on a true story), [[EvilAunt Aunt]] [[WickedStepmother Rutherine]] "Ruth" Chandler takes [[WouldHurtAChild child abuse]] to horrifying new levels. Ruth believes that [[BoomerangBigot all women are whores]], and as such should be treated like animals. When her nieces Susan and Meg move in with her after the deaths of their parents, she subjects Meg to an escalating series of atrocities that include tying her to a post and ordering her sons and some of the neighborhood children to rape her, mutilating her with a blowtorch, and [[GroinAttack forcibly removing her clitoris]], [[ForcedToWatch forcing David and Susan to watch]] as she does. She also [[IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure punishes Susan]], a [[DisabledMeansHelpless crippled]] girl, for her sister's perceived disobedience; she even goes as far as to inappropriately touch her as a means of keeping Meg in line. Manipulative and sadistic, Ruth is an utter nightmare of a mother.

* NightmareFuel: A whole lot of the brutality and violence.

* TearJerker: [[spoiler: After Ruth's death and her children getting arrested by the cops, Meg says to David that [[FamousLastWords she loves him]] before succumbing to her wounds and dying. Then, David breaks down in tears and weeps over her body]].

* TheWoobie: Both Meg and Susan. They're basically trapped in Hell with no escape.

!![[Literature/TheGirlNextDoor The book]] and film adaptation]]:

!![[Literature/TheGirlNextDoor The book]] [[Film/TheGirlNextDoor2007 and film adaptation]]:

!![[[Literature/TheGirlNextDoor The book]] [[Film/TheGirlNextDoor2007 and film adaptation]]:

!![[[Literature/TheGirlNextDoor The book and film adaptation]]:

* CompleteMonster: In this {{film|OfTheBook}} based on [[Literature/TheGirlNextDoor the novel]] (itself loosely based on a true story), [[EvilAunt Aunt]] [[WickedStepmother Rutherine]] "Ruth" Chandler takes [[WouldHurtAChild child abuse]] to horrifying new levels. Ruth believes that [[BoomerangBigot all women are whores]], and as such should be treated like animals. When her nieces Susan and Meg move in with her after the deaths of their parents, she subjects Meg to an escalating series of atrocities that include tying her to a post and ordering her sons and some of the neighborhood children to rape her, mutilating her with a blowtorch, and [[GroinAttack forcibly removing her clitoris]], [[ForcedToWatch forcing David and Susan to watch]] as she does. She also [[IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure punishes Susan]], a [[DisabledMeansHelpless crippled]] girl, for her sister's perceived disobedience; she even goes as far as to inappropriately touch her as a means of keeping Meg in line. Manipulative and sadistic, Ruth is an utter nightmare of a mother, with a rightful place in Hell.

!![[Film/TheGirlNextDoor2007 2007 film]] and [[Literature/TheGirlNextDoor the book]]: