5 Movies Like ‘Girl in the Basement’ That Hold Suspense to the Very End

There are several other thriller films like "Girl in the Basement," which are not only suspenseful but are based on actual events. Most of them portray the same theme of female actresses being held captive.

"Girl in the Basement" is a chilling movie about a teenager named Sara who looks forward to her eighteenth birthday to escape the claws of her controlling father, Don.

However, before that happens, he imprisons her in the basement of their home. The movie is based on a true story and is part of Lifetime's "Ripped From the Headlines" collection of feature films.

Although the thriller is not a true crime docuseries, it is based on actual events with real criminals. In the film, Don (Judd Nelson) covers his tracks by telling his wife, Irene, that their daughter Sara (Stefanie Scott) ran away from home to start a new life without them.

Meanwhile, he holds her captive in their home for 20 years, torturing and raping her consistently until she gives birth to several kids.

The film's director, Elisabeth Rohm, said in a February 2021 interview, "It is also a story of hope and one woman's will to survive. If we can anchor into hope and love and joy, then we can survive and we can find our way out of that prison. The triumph of the human will is what this movie is about."

'Death Saved My Life' (2021)

Like "Girl in the Basement," another thriller, "Death Saved My Life," is based on a true story about a woman's resilience and will to survive.

The movie is about Jade Thompson (Meagan Good), whose life seems perfect from the outside looking in. She has a successful marketing career, a husband, Ed Thompson (Chike Okonkwo), who is admired and well-respected in the community, and a young daughter they both adore.

However, it turns out Jade's life is not what it seems behind closed doors. Ed is physically and psychologically abusive toward his wife, and when she tells him she is leaving him, he says to her:

"If I can't have you, nobody will."

Once Jade realizes that her husband meant what he said by hiring someone to kill her, it dawns on her that the only way to get as far away from him is by making him think the hitman indeed killed her. She decides to fake her death to escape her abusive spouse.

According to Lifetime's official synopsis for the film, "Death Saved My Life" is inspired by the story of "a woman who faked her death in order to trap her husband after he hires a hitman to kill her."

Although the network has not stated which story the movie is based on exactly, reports suggest it may be inspired by Noela Rukundo, who reportedly faked her death in 2015 after her "violent" spouse, Balenga Kalala, tried to have her killed.

'Girl in the Box' (2016)

Another movie based on actual events is "Girl in the Box," which takes place in the year 1977. It is about a girl who gets kidnapped and is kept in a coffin-sized box, and once her captors let her out, she becomes their slave, and they torture and rape her.

The movie depicts the story of Colleen Stan, 65, who was kidnapped in 1977 for seven years. She endured brutal treatment and was forced to spend up to 23 hours daily in a box by her captors.

Per the film's synopsis, "In the spring of 1977, 22-year-old Colleen Stan is hitchhiking to California when she accepts a ride from a young married couple, Cameron and Janice Hooker."

She was kidnapped at knifepoint and spent several years in captivity before escaping in 1984 with the help of Janice, who reported her husband Cameron to the police. The film is told through one of the kidnappers. Addison Timlin plays the main character.

'Misery' (1990)

Another movie worth watching is "Misery," which follows a best-selling author who gets involved in a car accident and is rescued by a fan.

Unbeknown to him, the fan is about to make his life miserable under her care. The novelist is held captive and suffers abuse as a result.

Actress Kathy Bates portrays the said fan, Annie Wilkes, who initially shows a heart-warming and caring demeanor only to burst into full rage and psychosis mode once she learns the author, Paul Sheldon (James Caan), killed off a lead character in his series, "Misery Chastain."

She keeps him in her home as he rewrites Misery's fate. "Misery" is arguably considered one of the most iconic horror films of all time, and it does a magnificent job of transmitting the feeling of isolation and inescapability.

'10 Cloverfield Lane' (2016)

Similar to "Misery" is the movie "10 Cloverfield Lane," which centers on a young woman who gets involved in a car crash.

After waking up, she realizes she is held captive in an underground bunker by a man who tries to convince her that the outside world is inhabitable.

Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is chained to a bed as her captor Howard (John Goodman), who poses as her savior, informs her that a chemical or nuclear attack has depopulated the world.

While he suspects it may be the Russians, she suspects he might be crazy. The film is full of twists and turns that keep viewers glued to the screen.

'Berlin Syndrome' (2017)

Another notable film is "Berlin Syndrome," about a passionate holiday romance that goes wrong when it turns into an obsessive relationship.

An Australian photojournalist wakes up in a Berlin apartment one morning and realizes there is no way out for her as she is held captive.

The movie stars actress Teresa Palmer who plays Clare, a photographer visiting Berlin to shoot the city's architecture. She later bumps into a charming yet good-looking English teacher named Andi (Max Riemelt) on the street.

Andi plays the nice guy act and seems harmless, but he secretly has emotional entitlement issues. Following a brief fling with Clare, he locks her up in his apartment against her will. The film explores how abusers manipulate their victims into a state of emotional co-dependency.