MovieChat Forums > The Girl Next Door (2008) Discussion > Aunty Ruth:

Aunty Ruth:

posted 11 years ago by aidan-r-11
8 replies | jump to latest

After just finishing watching this movie, all I had to say is: Wow.

I've watched a few 'extreme' horror films, such as 'Martyrs' 'Inside' and 'A Serbian Film'
And I think this horror movie excels, simply because it pertained to it's credentials in the simplest form; It horrified me.
This movie unearthed some pretty intense emotions of anger, fear, disgust, and sadness that I haven't felt since watching the aforementioned horror flicks.

The villain, Aunty Ruth, she didn't wear a mask, or lurk in the shadows, or carry any horrible disfigurements.
Yet she was terrifying.
She molded the frail, unstable minds of these children and created immoral barbarians, with no remorse for neither her spawn or victim.
And I think in a way, the pack mentality was also an implementation of fear; as humans, we tend to follow one another, and this primitive justification can often snowball.

I think that is why I hated Ruth so much. She justified their actions, and made those boys actually believe what they were doing was for GOOD and she 'deserved' it.

My only criticisms of this movie is:
- That I couldn't hear what Meg was saying with her last words, and I feel like they were significant too.
- I find it highly unlikely Ruth would let those two teenage girls down in the basement, the risk would be too high of them snitching.

What are your thoughts? Do you agree?

[–] captured_tears 11 years ago

I've read many angry comments about the children partaking in the tortures and people saying that they cannot understand why they did it and hw they couldn't see right from wrong. But I think what a lot of people don't understand is the sheer effect that someone as manipulating as Ruth can have on a young mind. younger minds are easy to manipulate in this way and corrupt.

She was exactly the evil villain that you've described and I agree completely with that.

Anyone who uses children in such a way is a sick sick individual.

Although what those children did/helped out with was incredible wrong, I really do believe that they were completely brainwashed and that they were just puppets in her sick game. Their lives have been completely ruined by her evilness as she controlled them all the way to the end...

[–] aidan-r-11 11 years ago

Yes that is exactly how I felt, and it's good to know others do too.
I find the acts themselves disturbing, but still believable.

[–] nessakf_02 11 years ago

"That I couldn't hear what Meg was saying with her last words, and I feel like they were significant too."

Yeah I couldn't hear what she was saying either. I was actually going to try to watch the end again tonight and see if I can turn the subtitles on so I can know what she's saying.

[–] PurpleLemonadeDinosaur 10 years ago

Oh, those boys knew from right to wrong. They were misogynistic bullies, so I didn't feel sorry for them. They knew exactly what they were doing when they wanted to rape and molest her. Aunty Ruth may have titillated those boys, but they were still despicable human beings. Children my ass.

I get high on hydroponic weed

[–] VivienCastro 9 years ago

But it wasn't just those boys. It was also the other kids and two girls.

I think that oldest boy (not ruths' son) was sociopathic. Ruth's oldest son was also very damaged. He was a teenager and was very sexually stimulated by all that, but it was something so wrong. On the other hand, his mother, moral compass, made it seem right so he gave into his instincts.

She was feeding them these lessons since they were young. Other kids saw her as a cool one. there was also group mentality at play.

As for the girls, there is some cruelty in children, especially girls, that sometimes comes out when encouraged. They didn't have a reason, but all of these kids got an outlet for all the negative emotions and twisted dark fantasies they have but don't yet know how to deal with, while given a stamp of approval by a cool adult.

I don't think any of them were born evil, she *beep* them all up though.

[–] frankey200 7 years ago

Imagine what those kids would be like when they grew up.

Then imagine what their own kids would be like.

And so the cycle goes on.

[–] SaliceMcD 8 years ago

I so agree with all you wrote. I re-watched the end with the Spanish subtitles turned on - you can watch it free on YouTube w/these - but alas, I needed French if not English. All I made out was, I believe, "I love you," or something re love, in her last sentence.

Agree that girls of that age *might* not have talked, but it was a huge risk - as was offering David beer, likely to make him both sick and drunk, and to reveal to his parents its provider.

[–] KutWrite 7 years ago

I agree with most of what was said above.

I generally watch movies with subtitles, as I have the volume down at night.

She asked Davy to please get her mom's ring for her, which he did, from the neck of dead Ruth.

Meg says, "Now it'll be OK" and "I wish it didn't hurt so much."

Then Meg said something like "Are you really here?" He says "Yes," then she says "Good, I thought you were a dream." "I think it'll be oK now... I think I love you."

Then, she dies.

That's pretty close.

I believe Ruth's oldest son was probably molested himself. SO now, he's taking it out on Meg, as justified by Ruth.

The younger sons start out scared and intimidated, then get into it.

The two girls are probably mainly wanting to be "in" with the "bad boys with the cool mom" and at the end, just glad it's not them being tortured.

This movie started out so slow, I almost stopped watching, but when the 2nd act started, it began to get my attention.

I thought the acting was pretty bad, but believable enough to get me sweating and squirming, esp. when it looked like Mr. Blowtorch would be visiting Davy.

ONe thought about the end... I kept wondering "Doesn't this town have a damned ambulance?"

The cop was also kind of slow about getting help.

Annoying glitches, but yes, a powerful movie. Davy's helplessness got to me. I kept thinking "What would I do... as a KID?"