The Dead Girl

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The Dead Girl

R

2007

1h 34m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

75%

Tomatometer

80 Reviews

65%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

In a quintet of stories, the murder of a young runaway connects a group of unrelated women. Lonely Arden discovers the body; Leah, a forensics student, thinks the victim may be her long-missing sister. Melora arrives in Los Angeles to piece together the last days of her daughter's life, while Ruth makes a disturbing discovery in the storage facility she and her husband manage.

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Critics Consensus

This dark thriller boasts a fresh approach, but it can still get bogged down by its heavy subject matter.

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Dec 20, 2021

The film is visually passive, and the score is portentous. Even so, these lapses don't break the spell of honest feeling or blur the hard-won wisdom that emerges from the experience.

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Eleanor Ringel Cater

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Mar 22, 2007

B

Karen Moncrieff's previous film, the shallow and pretentious Blue Car, in no way prepares you for this superbly acted, emotionally acute picture.

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Moira MacDonald

Seattle Times

Mar 16, 2007

3/4

Those who pass on The Dead Girl are missing something. Moncrieff has assembled a remarkable (and mostly female) cast, and there are moments in this film that are as powerful as anything currently in theaters.

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Debbie Lynn Elias

Behind The Lens

Nov 7, 2019

Despite its shortcomings, [Karen] Moncrieff's unconventionality and inventiveness should keep The Dead Girl alive long enough to have your own mini-breakdown before hitting the box office.

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Tara Thorne

The Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Jul 12, 2016

There's not a laugh to be had, but the humanist Moncrieff is grabbing for your heart, rarely showing violence but letting the potential of it seep in from every corner, making fear itself the uncredited star.

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Sep 14, 2010

B-

A dreary Chick Flick serial killer film, that puts a human face on the vic as it focuses on all the women affected by the serial killer.

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Dave D

@RT78510413 Sep 13, 2026

Five stories all related to the finding of a dead girl in a field. It is gripping and held my attention until the end. Very sad and tragic but such is life for many people. Rose Byrne was excellent and Brittany Murphy, Toni Collete and Marcia Gay Harden were all solid and heartfelt.

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Bisquiteen T

@RT65021124 Aug 3, 2026

It's worth watching, but less than half the cast delivers. Toni Collette and Marcia Gay Harden spend their entire screentime staring like they've just been hit over the head with a coconut. Kerry Washington and Giovanni Ribisi and Mary Steeburgen are passable, but forgettable. The murderer guy, well, he's there, I guess. Rose Byrne is powerful, Mary Beth Hurt is heartbreaking, and Brittany Murphy is incredible as she always was. Even at her worst, she was the most magnetic presence on screen. The story is interesting enough, but so many of these "big-name" actors are so useless that I wish they would've just centered Brittany, Mary Beth, Rose, and given some unknowns the chance to shine.

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Oaklee D

@ODie63 Nov 10, 2025

A unique crime film, which gets more bleak the more it goes on, worth a watch at least once.

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Kellie M

@RT68128475 Feb 9, 2025

Incredible movie!!!! Well acted with so many stars - every one in this movie MADE the movie.

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Alain E

@AlainE Jan 20, 2025

I gave up after 21 minutes. Unable to accept that what was depicted has any reference to actual persons or situations. I recognize that the great majority of critics and viewers disagree.

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Iamwhoi M

@Shaboutiques Dec 22, 2024

As with everything in life (and death), it's all about perspective. This film deals with that by draping perspective over the body of a dead Jame Doe. As the film progresses, you see how those perspectives shift between people. I thought it was a great movie, and Brittany Murphy did a great job of bringing the dead girl to life.

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Karen Moncrieff

Director

Toni Collette

Arden

Rose Byrne

Leah

Mary Beth Hurt

Ruth

Marcia Gay Harden

Melora

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Synopsis

In a quintet of stories, the murder of a young runaway connects a group of unrelated women. Lonely Arden discovers the body; Leah, a forensics student, thinks the victim may be her long-missing sister. Melora arrives in Los Angeles to piece together the last days of her daughter's life, while Ruth makes a disturbing discovery in the storage facility she and her husband manage.

Director: Karen Moncrieff
Producer: Eric Karten, Gary Lucchesi, Tom Rosenberg, Kevin Turen, Henry Winterstern
Screenwriter: Karen Moncrieff
Distributor: First Look
Production Co: Lakeshore Entertainment, First Look Pictures Releasing
Rating: R (Nudity|Language|Grisly Images|Sexuality)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 19, 2007, Wide
Release Date (DVD): May 15, 2007
Box Office (Gross USA): $17.3K
Runtime: 1h 34m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS

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