“An American Crime” was a disturbing movie about the evil within all of us. The most horrific part is that a group of people could have performed such torture to an innocent human being because they were following the commands of an imbalanced woman. It was directed by Tommy O’Haver, who also directed “Ella Enchanted.” You wouldn’t be able to tell by watching this film. It was a rendition of a shocking true story that occurred in the 1960’s where a suburban mother tortured and murdered a 16-year old girl. It stars Ellen Page (“Juno,” “X-Men) and Catherine Keener (“Being John Malkovich”, “The 40 Year Old Virgin”) as the main characters.

The actors did an amazing job in bringing to light this crime that is horrifying even in today’s standards. Page was believable as the ill-fated Sylvia Likens. She was very innocent and likable, and this is coming from someone who usually can’t stand her acting. When she was being tortured, I believed in the pain and suffering that the real Likens probably endured. Keener played Gertrude Baniszewski with such precision that it was eerie to watch. I researched the crime, and saw the real pictures of the two women, and they were perfectly cast.

It is disgusting that humans are so easily swayed to cause such destruction to one human being. Baniszewski’s children didn’t bother me because they were brainwashed by this sick woman. The neighborhood children are the ones that shocked me the most. They were evil to come to this house every day to torture this girl. You have to wonder how they were raised to have committed such an act. Maybe it’s true that all of us have a bit of good and evil inside us. Caging and torturing another being is probably the most evil thing that someone can do, and maybe this brought out that side out of them. It makes me even sadder that her sister didn’t do anything to stop the crime. She says she was frightened. However, seeing your sister hurt in that way didn’t prompt you to talk to you one of your teachers or another adult about what was going on?

In the real story, she did talk to an older sister of hers about what was going on. The older sister contacted Child Protective Services. Nevertheless, when they arrived, they were told that Sylvia had runaway, and her sister verified the story. I have never been put in that position, but I would never allow someone to harm my two sisters in any way.

I still can’t stop thinking about this movie a day after watching it. It’s definitely a movie to watch. I don’t think I could watch it again because it was too disturbing, but I’m glad that I watched it.