Gardens of the Night

2008

Drama

4
IMDb Rating 6.8/10 10 4975 5K

california cop shelter beating prostitution drugs

Plot summary

After being abducted as children, and suffering years of abuse, a teenage boy and girl find themselves living on the street.

Director

Damian Harris Photo
Damian Harris

Top cast

Michelle Rodriguez Photo
Michelle Rodriguez as Lucy
Evan Peters Photo
Evan Peters as Rachel / Brian
John Malkovich Photo
John Malkovich as Michael
Harold Perrineau Photo
Harold Perrineau as Orlando
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB
995.16 MB
1280*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 48 min
Seeds 2
1.8 GB
1916*1078
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 48 min
Seeds 6

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by brian-parone 8 / 10

As a father, who obviously thinks his daughter is the sweetest, most beautiful, and innocent creature on this planet, I struggled to watch this

I'm always looking for extreme and disturbing films. Disturbing film aficionados will know about 'A Serbian Film', 'Salo', 'Martyrs', 'Nekromantik', and the rest. Nothing has ever made me cringes much, or even ever stop watching a film....until this film. I didn't even think this was going to be a disturbing film. I knew is was a risqué topic but didn't think it would be the most disturbing film I've ever seen. I had to turn if off for a little bit. Just imaging my little girl in that situation broke my heart. I couldn't stop imaging it happening to my little girl and I felt so uneasy I had to turn it off twice and try to watch something else. So I turned it on and left it on. My objective is to install an appropriate level of fear in myself and think about what I can do to avoid this with my daughter and other children.No film has ever stuck with me like this one. No film has ever given me such anxiety. No film has ever made me so uncomfortable and shocked at human behavior. I understand violence but, child exploitation is not something I understand at all. I am moved. I gave this film an 8. Not a 10 because I prefer films that make me feel good. Not a 1 because this is a hard subject done right and that doesn't take the topic over the line (i.e. no child nudity/sexual acts). It seriously does go to the edge though. Very wall thought out and directed. Was a tight rope to walk for the director.
Reviewed by dcfemella 8 / 10

Every Parent Should Watch This Movie

"Gardens of the Night" is about two children, Leslie and Donnie, kidnapped by two men and their lives together. It's directed by newcomer Damian Harris who based his story on the kids, counselors, police officers, and pimps that he met during his two years of research. His years of perfecting the story was seen in how well made this movie was. As a parent, I felt the pain of what would happen if my child was taken and having to endure the horrors that these children did for over nine years. After they get too old, they are dumped by their captors and left to fend for themselves. The actors did an amazing job bringing this script to life. The two children, Rayn Simpkins and Jermaine Scooter Smith, who play the young Leslie and Donnie really showed the pain that children who have dealt with this probably felt. I was impressed on how well they did for being so young. I was glad that they didn't get too graphic on the parts when the children had to do deal with pedophiles because I probably would have nightmares for awhile thinking about how this really happens every day. The director was able to make his point across without showing too much. Some other directors would have gone for the shock factor, so I am glad that he was smart enough to realize that he would have lost his audience doing that. The cinematography was great because it didn't look like it was made in a fancy studio. It gave the feel like you were actually there with them throughout the entire ordeal. I also like how they show how this is usually a vicious cycle that occurs and that it usually doesn't just end. You expect a big, happy ending where everything is perfect at the end, and I am glad that he kept it realistic. Every parent should watch this. Even if you aren't a parent, you probably should. It will make you think twice about what to do if you see a sad child, who doesn't seem like he/she belongs with that adult, looking at you with helpless eyes.
Reviewed by lasting1 8 / 10

Loud Bell Warnings about Child Abduction!

My question was always how beautiful, SMART, promising children get abducted in the first place and erased from their family's dynamics. This movie is every parents nightmare and to see how Tom Arnold (Alex) and his partner (Frank), played by Kevin Zegers go through the cunning, gut wrenching process of surreptitiously convincing an 8 yr.old gorgeous child, that he worked for the father and she needed to get into the car and talk about his father's 'big troubles'. Tom Arnold played this monster abductor with such skill, and at first with gentle convincing persuasion that they had been abandoned by their families because of their FAMILIES' bleak circumstances. "Never talk to Strangers" goes above and beyond, because they both are so eloquent and seamless in their successful display of believability. I presume that walking alone back and forth from school is a thing of the past! This is a tough watch, so get your gut strong and the message is clear. This is all done for money marketing these children into porno, rape and abuse. Without giving the ending away it is certainly a movie that educates, and depicts a well researched account by the writer Damian Harris. For two years he worked among the pimps, shelters, child porno industry to identify this horror and how it manifests within these young adults as they grow to know the truth.
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