Girl in the Closet

Girl in the Closet is a 2023 American true crime drama television film directed by Jaira Thomas and written by Sa'Rah Jones and Courtney Miller. The film based on the true story of Lauren Kavanaugh who was locked in a closet for six years and endured physical and sexual abuse by her biological mother and stepfather. Her biological mother regained custody after her adoptive parents lawyer failed to file the correct paperwork.^[1][2] It stars Tami Roman, Remy Ma, Daijah Peters, Danielle LaRoach, Stevie Baggs, and Teisha Speight.^[3] The film premiered on Lifetime on March 11, 2023.^[4]

Girl in the Closet is the part of Girl In film series, following Girl in Room 13 Girl in the Basement, Girl in the Bunker, Girl in the Box and Girl in the Shed: The Kidnapping of Abby Hernandez.^[4]

Cameron Smith is the daughter of Patricia Smith. During a birthday party attended by her relatives, Cameron and Patricia are visited by her Aunt Mia and her daughter Angela. Patricia is weary of Mia because of her previous arrest where she killed someone in self-defense with a hammer and placed his body in a closet. Once day, Patricia suffers from an aneurysm and Cameron ends up placed in Aunt Mia's custody. She takes him to her home where she lives with Angela and her husband Chris.

Things take a dark turn when Aunt Mia has Cameron placed in the basement with her other captives Nancy, Joanne, and Harland who each have been enticed by Aunt Mia. After Chris gives them drugged Kool-Aid, Aunt Mia uses Cameron, Nancy, and Joanne in her sex work.

After recovering from her aneurysm, Patricia tries to get Cameron back with help from social workers. They end up finding out about Aunt Mia's criminal record. When Josh tracks down Aunt Mia's house, a neighbor tells them that they left town.

In Nashville, Tennessee some years later, Aunt Mia, Chris, and Angela have settled down with Cameron, Nancy, Joanne, and Harland placed in the basement. Cameron is now a teenager. As a result of Nancy and Joanne giving birth from the sex work they are put in, Aunt Mia sells their babies on the black market to make ends meet.

While at a bar, Aunt Mia entices a medical school graduate named Diana into coming to her house. Then she puts her in the basement with Cameron, Nancy, Joanne, and Harland to help with the delivering. When Joanne goes into labor and Diane helps to delivery, the baby ends up stillborn. Diane tries to escape only to slip and hit her head on the steps. She later succumbs to the injury. As Chris is instructed to bury her body, Aunt Mia states to Cameron that she can hold her accountable for this. In exchange that Cameron continues doing as she says, she'll cover up Diane's demise. After Cameron throws out an envelope containing sedatives and prays to God, Chris states to Mia that he doesn't know what Cameron does when she goes to toss the garbage out.

After doing some grocery shopping, Aunt Mia meets a homeless man named Pastor who claims that he is a war veteran. Though Aunt Mia is not fooled, he does give him a job and states that when she says jump, he should ask how high. Now working as a pimp and being introduced to Cameron, Nancy, Joanne, and Harland, he comments that he might not find a use for Harland and asks if a pregnant Joanne can still have sex with someone. Aunt Mia states that they'll make it work. Pastor takes Cameron, Nancy, and Joanne to their assigned clients nightly. Nancy's client is a police officer who is told about Aunt Mia.

After Joanne gives birth, Aunt Mia confiscates the baby. While Angela goes back to Atlanta after an argument with her mother, Cameron persuades Chris into letting her care for the baby while Aunt Mia naps. Behind his back, Cameron takes the baby down to see Joanne.

One day, the police officer client brings Nancy to Aunt Mia claiming that she tried to escape causing Aunt Mia to have Nancy locked in the attic. Cameron regularly visits her to bring her crackers and waters after secretly drugging Pastor. Nancy advises Cameron not to visit her again. One day later, Cameron finds Nancy dead from heatstroke. When Aunt Mia, Chris, and Pastor come up and also see Nancy dead, Pastor claims that the police officer client won't help them and that he did not sign up for someone to die. As Aunt Mia orders Cameron downstairs, Aunt Mia reminds Pastor of their agreement as she takes everyone back to Atlanta.

At Angela's latest house, it is noted that the remaining captives will not all fit in their small basement as Angela has a special spot for Cameron. As she is taken up to an upstairs closet, Cameron is told by Aunt Mia that she is doing this to make her family strong as Angela shoves Cameron into the closet.

Three days later, Angela notes that her landlord is getting nosy. As Aunt Mia counts her money, Chris states to Aunt Mia that he hasn't found a house with a bigger basement and advises her not to allow Cameron to die from neglect. He briefly opens the closet to give Cameron some crackers and water as Cameron starts talking to herself.

One day, Angela's landlord receives a check from Angela who states that the check will clear this time. He also mentions about complaints he's getting from the neighbors about strange smells. After Angela goes back into the house, the landlord hears a sound when he goes to her car. Getting his bolt cutters, he breaks open the basement door. Instead of finding an animal that he thought the family had, he finds Joanne and Harland as he pulls out his mobile phone.

Later that night, the police raid the property and start arresting Pastor and Angela with the latter shouting if they have a warrant. Then they arrest Aunt Mia and Chris. Finally, the police find Cameron in the closet and get her out. As she is sitting at the back of the ambulance while praying, Cameron is finally reunited with Patricia as they see the police load Aunt Mia, Chris, Angela, and Pastor to the police cars.

5 years later, Aunt Mia is up for parole with Cameron and Patricia in attendance. She states that if she is paroled, she'll be a better person to society. When a parole board member asks if anyone would like to say anything before they pass their verdict, Cameron takes the offer by telling Mia that what she said to her before locking in the closet is not making her family stronger and calls her evil.

As Aunt Mia is led back into prison, a postscript states that the perpetrators that inspired this film received lengthy prison sentences. The city reached a settlement with those that they had failed to help.

• Tami Roman as Aunt Mia
• Remy Ma as Patricia Smith
• Daijah Peters as Teen Cameron Smith
  • Brielle Oliver as Young Cameron
• Danielle LaRoach as Nancy
• Stevie Baggs as Chris
• Teisha Speight as Joanne
• Jazz Anderson as Angela
• Willie Raysor as Pastor
• Jason Jamal Ligon as Harland
• Matthew Rimmer as John #3/Police Officer
• Bradley Hasemeyer as Josh Goodman
• Jael Roberson as Renee
• LaKeta Booker as Gail
• Jen L. Burry as Diane
• LaTangela as Yolanda
• Courtney Miller as Dennis
• Kent Fields as Brian

Film critic Liz Kocan of Decider gave the film a negative review, but praised Tami Roman's performance as sadistic Aunt.^[5]

• Girl in the Closet at IMDb