**This article contains discussion of rape and sexual assault that some readers may find upsetting.**
Lifetime movie Girl in the Basement tells the harrowing story of a young girl named Sara who is imprisoned in her family basement by her father, Don.
The film was made as part of Lifetime’s Ripped From the Headlines collection and was directed by Elisabeth Röhm, who is best known for her roles as an actress in Angel as Kate Lockley and in Law & Order as Serena Southerlyn.
The film is a difficult watch and features distressing subject matter, with Röhm telling The Wrap: “Lifetime has broken boundaries with this movie by telling a story that’s a call to action about abuse on a very significant level.”
But how can viewers in the UK watch the film? Read on for everything you need to know about how to watch Girl in the Basement in the UK.
Is Girl in the Basement available to watch in the UK?
Girl in the Basement originally aired on the Lifetime Network in the US in 2021, and is currently available to rent and purchase stateside through Amazon Prime Video.
However, here in the UK the film is not currently available to stream, rent or purchase anywhere. If it does become available anywhere, we will keep this page updated.
What is Girl in the Basement about?
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The film’s official synopsis reads: “Inspired by actual events, Girl in the Basement is the horrific story of Sara (Stefanie Scott), a vibrant teen girl who was looking forward to her 18th birthday so she could move away from her controlling father, Don (Judd Nelson).”
Is Girl in the Basement based on a true story?
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While the film changes names, locations and doesn’t strictly follow the exact events that occurred in real life, it is tragically based on a true story.
In the film, Sara is a stand-in for Elisabeth Fritzl, an Austrian girl who was imprisoned by her father Josef in the basement of her family home. She was kept there for 24 years, during which time she was repeatedly raped and abused and gave birth to seven children.
She was discovered and freed in 2008. In 2009, Josef Fritzl pleaded guilty on all accounts to the charge of manslaughter by negligence of his grandchild, and charges of false imprisonment, incest and rape of Elisabeth. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and remains in prison.
Who stars in Girl in the Basement?
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The film stars Judd Nelson (The Breakfast Club) as Don, while Stefanie Scott (Insidious: Chapter 3) plays Sara.
The rest of the cast is rounded out by Joely Fisher, Emma Myers, Braxton Bjerken, Jake Nuttall and Emily Topper amongst others.
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can find help, support and more information at Rape Crisis and Victim Support.
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