The True Story That Inspired the Film The harrowing narrative of Girl In The Basement is a chilling reminder of the dark corners that exist within our society. The film, which debuted on Lifetime, mirrors the real-life horror faced by Elisabeth Fritzl. In a small Austrian town, Josef Fritzl committed the unthinkable act of imprisoning his own daughter just before her 18th birthday. Over the span of 24 years, he subjected Elisabeth to unimaginable torment, raping her repeatedly and fathering seven children with her, three of whom remained captive alongside their mother. The stark reality of Elisabeth’s plight—giving birth alone...
- 1/16/2024
- by Steve Delikson
- TVovermind.com
The Lifetime original "The Girl in the Basement" and A24's "Room" draw from the same harrowing true story. In 2008, a young woman named Elisabeth Fritzl from Amstetten, Lower Austria, escaped the cellar of her family home after being imprisoned for 24 years by her father, Josef Fritzl. During that time, she gave birth to seven of Josef's children — three of whom remained in captivity, one who passed away shortly after childbirth, and three others who were raised by Fritzl and his wife, Rosemarie, as "foundlings" put on their doorstep from their runaway daughter. Josef had told his wife, family, and neighbors that Elisabeth had left town and possibly joined a religious cult.
Elisabeth was able to break free from her underground prison after one of her children became unconscious. Josef took her to the hospital and the doctors were concerned over her poor health conditions. Josef was sentenced to...
Elisabeth was able to break free from her underground prison after one of her children became unconscious. Josef took her to the hospital and the doctors were concerned over her poor health conditions. Josef was sentenced to...
- 8/28/2023
- by Caroline Madden
- Slash Film
Corey Deshon’s debut feature has echoes of horrific cases of basement imprisonment, but doesn’t quite coalesce into a clear vision
There are echoes of the Turpin case and Josef Fritzl’s basement in this tense arthouse horror shot in grainy 16mm with auteurish confidence by first-time film-maker Corey Deshon. It opens with a claim to be “more based on fact than fiction”, but actually tells an entirely fictional story about the kidnapping of a young woman (Vivien Ngô) who wakes up shackled to the floor in a garage. In front of her stands a man known only as Father (Casper Van Dien). You can tell instantly from his plaid checked shirt, beige slacks and straight-backed posture that he’s the type of Christian you don’t mess with in a horror movie: wholesome looking, but unhinged.
“We’re not violent people,” Father tells the chained-up woman, sounding almost reasonable.
There are echoes of the Turpin case and Josef Fritzl’s basement in this tense arthouse horror shot in grainy 16mm with auteurish confidence by first-time film-maker Corey Deshon. It opens with a claim to be “more based on fact than fiction”, but actually tells an entirely fictional story about the kidnapping of a young woman (Vivien Ngô) who wakes up shackled to the floor in a garage. In front of her stands a man known only as Father (Casper Van Dien). You can tell instantly from his plaid checked shirt, beige slacks and straight-backed posture that he’s the type of Christian you don’t mess with in a horror movie: wholesome looking, but unhinged.
“We’re not violent people,” Father tells the chained-up woman, sounding almost reasonable.
- 2/13/2023
- by Cath Clarke
- The Guardian - Film News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.