Diksha Sundriyal
Directed by Michael Morrissey, ‘The Girl Who Got Away’ follows the story of Christina Bowden, the lone survivor of serial killer Elizabeth Caulfield, who is trying to build a new life for herself. She was rescued about two decades ago, when she was just a girl found by a man and his son while running away from a bloodthirsty Elizabeth. Slowly and steadily, Christina rebuilt her life, but when Elizabeth escapes, the threat of being killed by the crazed killer looms over her again. The horror-thriller film presents a raw portrait of a woman who is haunted by the past, especially when the nightmare she thought she’d survived comes back to haunt her. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Fictional Characters Lend a Realistic Air to The Girl Who Got Away
‘The Girl Who Got Away’ is an entirely fictional story written and directed by Michael Morrissey. He didn’t reveal any particular inspirations behind the movie’s premise, instead creating an original story that delivers many twists and turns to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. The story stands out from other stories in the genre due to its portrayal of a female serial killer. So far, there is no account of someone like Elizabeth Caulfield who abducted and murdered young girls, though there have been accounts of women killing children, usually their own. It is possible that the writer studied real-life cases to understand the psychology of his subject, but there is no real-life connection with any serial killer.
What makes the movie more interesting is that it chooses the point of view of the victim, Christina Bowden. We don’t see as much of Elizabeth, but we discover the horrors she inflicted on her victims and the impact her actions have had on the survivor with the changes that appear in Christina after she discovers Elizabeth has escaped prison. For Lexi Johnson, playing Christina was a unique challenge that allowed her to tap into a deeply complex side of the role. Despite all the bloodshed and gore, the actress found the story to be surprisingly thoughtful and introspective, considering the horror element of the movie. For her, what stood out was the character’s desire to heal from her trauma, do something good for others, and make her town a better place.
Because the return of Elizabeth throws Christina into a spiral of trauma, Johnson prepared for it by researching PTSD. She read about the experiences of survivors of an abusive household, especially abusive mothers, and how the scars that people bear as children manifest in their psyche when they become adults. Apart from the emotional aspects, she also prepared herself for the physicality of the character and did a lot of running. At the end of the day, it was her deep empathy for the character that echoed in her performance, allowing the audience to relate to Christina and fear Elizabeth, even though both of them are entirely fictional characters.
Read More: The Girl Who Got Away Ending Explained: Is Christina Katie?
