This article contains discussions of child abuse and sexual assault.
True crime has been a very popular genre for a while now, so it’s not surprising that a genuinely horrifying real-life case — which occurred in Austria and came to light in 2008 — served as inspiration for two (admittedly different) movies. So, if you’ve seen the 2021 Lifetime original film “Girl in the Basement,” what is it about … and how does it connect to real-life events?
Released in 2021, “Girl in the Basement” stars Stefanie Scott as Sarah Cody, a rebellious teenager who’s seeing a boy named Chris (Jake Etheridge) and sneaks out to meet up with him against the wishes of her extraordinarily strict father Don (Judd Nelson, likely best known for playing John Bender in the classic teen film “The Breakfast Club”). After she returns home, having been out all night, Don does something horrific; he imprisons his own daughter in the soundproofed basement of the Cody family home, unbeknownst to her mother Irene (Joely Fisher) and sister Amy (Emily Topper). Don then keeps his daughter there for decades, repeatedly sexually assaulting her for years, which results in Sara giving birth to three children. When those children grow up, one needs medical attention … and Sara is freed at last.
This is, obviously, deeply horrifying — and tragically, it is based on a true story. Here’s what you need to know about Elisabeth Fritzl, her real imprisonment, and the award-winning film that also took inspiration from her lived experience.