Naman Shrestha
Helmed by Elisabeth Röhm, Lifetime’s ‘Girl in the Basement’ is a psychological thriller film that revolves around a teen girl named Sarah Cody who is tired of her life being controlled by her father, Don Cody. With her 18th birthday on the horizon, she hopes to finally move out of her parents’ house and start afresh. However, her dreams of independence and freedom are interrupted by Don, who locks her in the basement of the house and holds her captive. Meanwhile, he tells his wife, Irene Cody, and the other daughter, Amy Cody, that Sarah has run away, but the two find it hard to believe. Over the next few years, Don visits her imprisoned daughter secretly, only to torture and sexually assault her.
As a result, Sarah gives birth to multiple children in the locked basement of the house. When their youngest son is born, Don cleverly takes him upstairs and leaves him on their doorstep with a note claiming that it is Sarah’s son and that she is leaving him under Irene’s care, hoping that she will take care of him. Having endured harrowing abuse in a locked basement for decades, Sarah pulls out all stops to escape his clutches and reveal the haunting truth about her situation to the world. Based on true events, the crime movie focuses on the contrasting nature of the horror that takes place in the basement and the pretentious tranquility that remains upstairs in the same house. To do so, it employs the usage of locations that aid in building the atmospheric tension and complement the claustrophobic setting.
Where Was Girl in the Basement Filmed?
‘Girl in the Basement’ was filmed in its entirety in Georgia, specifically across Metro Atlanta. After several weeks of scouting for locations, the production team began shooting the Lifetime thriller in September 2020 and continued for the next couple of weeks before getting wrapped up in October of the same year. While filming, the director, Elisabeth Röhm, expressed her gratitude toward all the cast and crew members for giving their best and ensuring the entire production process went on smoothly. She said, “THANK YOU!!!!!!! And to everyone in our production, if I didn’t get to tell you yesterday you rock and I’m grateful! ❤️ 🎥 I’m so excited to share more details with you about our stellar cast and the story. Mentors everywhere. Stay open and keep learning 💪”
Metro Atlanta, Georgia
All the pivotal sequences for ‘Girl in the Basement’ were lensed in Metro Atlanta, which consists of Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, DeKalb, and Clayton counties. In order to add a layer of authenticity to the biographical film, the filming unit took over an actual residential property with a wrap-around porch located in the city of Marietta. The house was turned into a film set for a couple of weeks as it doubled for the Cody home. While the portions set in and around the family house were taped on location, the basement scenes were not shot at the actual basement inside the property.
The metropolitan area is home to several studios with first-rate production facilities, such as Tyler Perry Studios, Atlanta Metro Studios, Trilith Studios, and Encore Film And Music Studio. So, from what we can tell, the cast and crew members set up camp at one of the film studios in Metro Atlanta, where they created the basement set on a sound stage. Besides ‘Girl in the Basement,’ the area has hosted the production of many film and TV projects over the years, including ‘Prisoners,’ ‘The Nice Guys,’ ‘Who Is Killing the Cheerleaders?,’ ‘Last Looks,’ ‘Pieces of Her,’ and ‘Ozark.’
Girl in the Basement Cast Details
The cast of ‘Girl in the Basement’ is led by several talented actors, including the likes of Stefanie Scott, Judd Nelson, Joely Fisher, and Emily Topper. All four of them have been either nominated for or won awards for their acting talents for different projects. For instance, Stefanie won a Young Artist Award in 2012, while Emily won an LAFA March Award in 2023. Furthermore, while Judd was nominated for a Golden Globe award in 1988, Joely bagged a nomination for a Golden Globe award in 1998.
Stefanie Scott as Sarah Cody
The ‘Beautiful Boy’ fame Stefanie Scott dons the garb of Sarah Cody, the imprisoned woman, in ‘Girl in the Basement.’ Widely recognized for her roles in TV shows like ‘A.N.T. Farm,’ ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,’ and ‘The Girl in the Woods,’ she has also given compelling performances in many movies, including ‘Insidious: Chapter 3,’ ‘Insidious: The Last Key,’ ‘Good Girls Get High,’ ‘Jem and the Holograms,’ and ‘The Last Thing Mary Saw.’
Judd Nelson as Don Cody
Judd Nelson essays the role of Don Cody, Sarah’s controlling and abusive father, in the Lifetime thriller. Since he has been in the film industry for decades, many of you are likely to find his face familiar. You might recognize him for his roles in ‘The Breakfast Club,’ ‘Billionaire Boys Club,’ ‘The Downside of Bliss,’ ‘Save Christmas,’ and ‘The Engagement Plan.’ He also stars in several TV shows, such as ‘Empire,’ ‘Nikita,’ ‘Heartbreakers,’ ‘Two and a Half Men,’ and ‘Suddenly Susan.’
Joely Fisher as Irene Cody
Known for portraying Maggie in ‘The Mask,’ Joely Fisher plays the role of Irene Cody, Sarah’s mother and Don’s wife, in the crime movie. Also a director and producer, the multi-talented actor got her first big break when she bagged the role of Paige Clark in ‘Ellen.’ Following her impressive performance, she went on to star in ”Wild Card,’ ”Til Death,’ ‘Last Man Standing,’ and ‘Station 19.’ As for films, she features in ‘The Tribes of Palos Verdes,’ ‘The Disappearance of Mrs. Wu,’ and ‘Perfect Prey.’
Emily Topper as Amy Cody
The award-winning actor Emily Topper features in ‘Girl in the Basement’ as Amy Cody, Sarah’s sister. Throughout her acting career, she has been featured in different kinds of movies and TV shows, including ‘Nobody Will Believe You,’ ‘Black Balsam,’ ‘She Is Not Your Daughter,’ ‘English Teacher,’ ‘The Big Door Prize,’ and ‘The Thing About Pam.’ She also has plenty of short film credits to her name, such as ‘Melody Skylark and the Cosmic Soup,’ ‘Potluck,’ and ‘Greg.’
Other talented actors also feature in supporting roles in the Lifetime production, including Emma Myers as Marie Cody, Braxton Bjerken as Michael Cody, Jake Nuttall as Thomas, Jake Etheridge as Chris, Sydney Kowalske as Toddler Marie, and Liam Pileggi as Toddler Michael. Moreover, while Mac Wells portrays the Investigative Police Officer, Nic Starr plays the role of the Hospital Police Officer.
Read More: Girl in the Basement True Story: Is Sarah Cody Real? What Happened in Real Life?
