In 1965, a pair of professional carnival workers named Lester and Betty Likens have two children, sixteen-year-old Sylvia Likens and Jenny, her disabled fifteen-year-old sister. Lester and Betty need to go on tour so they ask Gertrude Baniszewski to care for their children. Gertrude is a church acquaintance and the mother to Paula, Johnny, Stephanie, and several younger children. Although she is greatly impoverished, she agrees to take care of Sylvia and Jenny for a fee of $20 per week.
Shortly after the girls arrive, Gertrude becomes infuriated when Lester's weekly payment fails to arrive. Gertrude whips the sisters with a belt. Soon after, the payment arrives with a letter from Lester and Betty but Gertrude discards the letter without telling the sisters.
After while out with friends, Sylvia tells Paula's boyfriend about Paula's pregnancy, a secret she swore not to tell. Paula becomes furious and tells Gertrude. Gertrude forces Sylvia to apologize for "spreading lies" by having her oldest son Johnny hold Sylvia down so Paula can beat her.
Jenny discovers the letter from their parents in the trash. Sylvia telephones them, but she is seen by the Baniszewski children. Gertrude falsely accuses them of stealing money from her for the call and burns Sylvia with a cigarette.
After a church lunch, Gertrude accuses Sylvia of flirting with Andy, father of one of Gertrude's sons. She sexually abuses Sylvia and orders her to go to the basement. When Sylvia refuses, Gertrude has Johnny and Stephanie's boyfriend, Coy Hubbard, to push her down the basement stairs. As Jenny weeps, Gertrude says Sylvia will remain in the basement "until she learns her lesson".
Gertrude instructs her children to lie that Sylvia was sent to juvenile detention. With Gertrude's knowledge and approval, Johnny regularly invites the neighborhood children to the basement to abuse Sylvia. Soon, Paula feels guilty and tells her mother Sylvia has been punished enough. Gertrude ignores Paula, reminding her that there is blood on her hands as well.
Later, Paula confesses to her church pastor that she is pregnant. The pastor decides to visit the Baniszewski home. When he arrives, he suggests that Paula has confessed about her pregnancy and Sylvia's treatment. Gertrude lies that Sylvia was sent away for being a bad influence. Once the pastor leaves, Gertrude orders everyone into the basement. There she restrains Sylvia and begins branding the words "I'M A PROSTITUTE AND PROUD OF IT" on her stomach with a heated needle. When she is unable to finish she passes the needle to her teen neighbor Ricky Hobbs to finish the branding.
Late that night, Paula helps an injured Sylvia escape from the basement. During the escape, one of the Baniszewski sisters awakens Gertrude. She quickly tries to catch Sylvia before she can get into Ricky's car, but Paula stops her. Ricky drives Sylvia to the fair where her parents are working. They are horrified by Sylvia's condition and go to confront Gertrude and to see if Jenny is okay.
When Sylvia enters the house, she sees her own lifeless body on the floor. Stephanie and Ricky are trying to revive her, but to no avail. The entire escape and reunion with her parents was her final dream and she has succumbed to the torture and abuse, dying in the arms of Stephanie and Ricky.
Once the police arrive, Jenny agrees to testify in court in exchange for her freedom from the Baniszewskis' custody. At the murder trial, Jenny says Gertrude threatened her with the same treatment if she told anyone; Gertrude, being the final one called to testify, tries to frame her children and their friends for Sylvia's death. However, her attempts to frame all her witnesses backfire as she is sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder and child abuse. Sylvia's voice narrates the fates of her other murderers. Gertrude, in her prison cell, briefly sees Sylvia's ghost.
Principal photography took place in 2006. Most of the cast were completely unaware of the real Likens murder until after they read the script, which was based largely on actual court transcripts from the case.[1]Catherine Keener originally turned down the role of Gertrude Baniszewski; however, after she could not get the story out of her head, she met with director Tommy O'Haver and agreed to do the film.[1]Elliot Page[a] was the only choice to play Sylvia Likens.
