Gardens of the Night

EMAIL PRINTCity Lights Pictures

6.7 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 5 critic reviews
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Based on 4 votes
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Drama

Written by: Damian Harris

Directed by: Damian Harris

Release Date:
Theatrical: November 7, 2008
DVD: March 24, 2009

Running Time: 110 minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING: R for disturbing content involving sexual exploitation of a child, language, sexual content and some drug use

Starring Ryan Simpkins, Gillian Jacobs, Tom Arnold, Kevin Zegers, Jermaine "Scooter" Smith, Evan Ross, John Malkovich, Harold Perrineau, and Jeremy Sisto

Leslie struggles with a hand to mouth existence on the streets of San Diego with only her childhood friend Donnie to look after her, both of them trying to cope with the trauma of having been abducted and held captive by two men nine years earlier. As an eight-year-old girl, Leslie was abducted through trickery by an older man Alex, and his young accomplice Frank. Leslie was held captive in their house along with an eight-year-old boy named Donnie, who believed his mentally unstable mother, sold him to Alex. The children create a bond with each other managing to escape into a fantasy world they create in their bedroom. Years later Leslie and Donnie, now seventeen years old, are living as street-kids and struggling to cope with what they suffered through, having been affected by the experience differently. Donnie's feelings for Leslie are those of any teenager in love, however Leslie's perception of love has been severely mutated through her relationship with Alex and her instinct is to run from Donnie. Can she not only survive this horrific experience, but be set free from its terrible shackles? (City Lights Pictures)

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What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

The film gives vivid reality to those photos of disappeared children on milk cartons by letting us peek into the lives of two abducted children subjected to sexual abuse and then prostitution.

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Variety Leslie Felperin

Well-meaning but underachieving drama.

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The New York Times Stephen Holden

Recovery time is recommended after seeing Gardens of the Night, a harrowing, obliquely told story of kidnapping and forced child prostitution that conjures a world entirely populated by predators and prey.

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Village Voice Ed Gonzalez

Pitched at the risible level of Marco Kreuzpaintner's Trade, the film never quite recovers from writer-director Damian Harris's dithering way of shooting things.

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New York Post Lou Lumenick

Tom Arnold plays the fatherly head of a child-prostitution ring and John Malkovich a sympathetic social worker - two clever casting twists that constitute the main interest in the grueling Gardens of the Night.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 6.7 (out of 10) based on 4 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Caroline B. gave it a10:
Excellent movie - I was gripped throughout. A sensitive subject which was beautifully filmed.