An American Crime

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Audience Member Hurts bad. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 05/23/25 Full Review Yash B "An American Crime" is easily one of the toughest movies I have sat through. This movie centers around a real-life horrific crime that is disturbing, sad, and often anger-inducing. I would call this movie gratuitous if it wasn't based on a real story. If you go down the rabbit hole like I did after watching it, you'll find it was somehow even worse and more heinous in real life. This is a movie that is effective in what it is trying to do, and while I can't call it entertainment, I can certainly say it leaves a profound impact. The performance by Catherine Keener is a standout and by the end of the movie, I absolutely despised her character. Overall, it is a very sad and emotionally draining film that anyone who watches it should mentally prepare for, but it is also a film that features a story that will stay with me forever. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/21/25 Full Review Daniel D This was extremely difficult to watch, but the most disturbing part is that this was a true story that happened in my city with kids who attended the same high school I did. I wasn't born yet when this happened, so it's not as if we crossed paths, but I suppose I went to many of the same places they did, decades later. Just to be clear to the reader, I know precisely where this house once stood. Although the film depicts it as a small, rural town, it's actually in a neighborhood that would now be described as the inner city of Indianapolis. There are now skyscrapers just three to four miles west of this location. I thought Catherine Keener was brilliant as Gertrude Baniszewski. Some reviewers seem confused that the movie didn't fully explain why she committed this terrible crime, but I think the movie explained it perfectly. Gertrude was broke, and the Likens girls were supposed to be a source of income but turned out to be two more mouths to feed without the requisite income. That made her angry, and she took it out on them. It was easier to have Sylvia bear the brunt of it because her sister Jenny had polio. The real Gertrude said she was on drugs at the time, and that explains a lot of it too. It's no excuse at all, but it at least gives insight. People in desperate circumstances, especially when drugs are involved, do crazy or even cruel things sometimes because they are at the end of their rope. Sometimes, an innocent person just finds him or herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. I think that at least partially explains the hatred Gertrude Baniszewski had for Sylvia Likens. It may not be any more complicated than that. The movie takes some liberties with the facts. Sylvia and Jenny's mother Betty was actually arrested for shoplifting, and that's why their father Lester left them with Gertrude. He was not held accountable for neglecting them, and that was another injustice. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 10/28/24 Full Review Thirdi A Disappointing with Lifetime-movie quality that may appeal to a younger audience. The pacing and acting were subpar, despite the potential for a compelling story given the grim real-life case. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 09/23/24 Full Review Twiggy H A truly horrible story - but great acting and nice aesthetics to a true appearance of those times. A bit weird towards the end, with what can only be described as some sort of brief 'nahhh, only joking, here's what actually happened in that moment' segment.. but so bloody glad it never once had sylveria's character 'accept' the supposedly implied 'apologises' of her abusers. It's always nice to see justice truly be served. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/08/24 Full Review Johan J 80% Dear producers, take my positive rating and leave. I want to keep this review as short as possible. After finishing this thing, I can now say that any faith in humanity that I once had is now gone. This movie is about as easy to swallow as a mouthful of kale, but also as necessary. "An American Crime" is a very well-made television movie featuring harrowingly good performances and the bravery of tackling a true story as messed up as the murder of Sylvia Likens. It's sad and scary, even more so than most fiction movies due to its roots in reality. And that's without the company of the Wikipedia page describing the real story. Essentially, virtually every character plays a part in this murder. No one does the right thing. Hope is a lost relic. It's a brutal yet effective way of conveying the film's message and making viewers aware of what happened by attacking their emotions. Long story short, if you see something, say something. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/23/24 Full Review Read all reviews

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