Girl in the Basement

Sara is an intelligent teenager counting the days until her 18th birthday, when she plans to leave her controlling father and start her own life. Instead, the night before her emancipation, Don locks her away in the family basement and keeps her isolated. Over time Sara copes with the physical confinement and the psychological manipulation that comes with living under her father's watch, while trying to hold on to hope and small acts of resistance. The film follows her attempts to communicate with the outside world, the strain on family relationships, and the slow unraveling of secrets in a claustrophobic, suspenseful setting, without giving away how events eventually resolve.

Directed by Elisabeth Röhm, Girl in the Basement premiered in 2021 as a television thriller, from creators Manu Boyer, Leslie Greif, and Barbara Marshall. The movie was produced for the small screen and assembled a cast led by Stefanie Scott and Judd Nelson.

The film landed a solid viewer rating, earning a 7.586 out of 10 from over 800 votes, and critics tended to note strong lead performances and a sustained atmosphere of tension. Reviewers highlighted how the story centers on control, abuse, and resilience, and many said the acting and tone made the scenario feel immediate and unsettling rather than distant or melodramatic.

In the months after release the movie prompted discussion about how television dramatizes domestic captivity and family abuse, and it figured in conversations about the rise of true-crime style TV movies. Stefanie Scott's turn as Sara drew particular attention, and the story sparked online conversations around victim survival, parental control, and the responsibilities of media when portraying traumatic subjects.

As a made-for-television film, Girl in the Basement did not have a theatrical box office; its audience reach was reflected in broadcast viewership and streaming availability rather than ticket sales, so traditional box office figures are not applicable.