The plot of 2009s The Lovely Bones is as heartbreaking as it is harrowing for many reasons, though perhaps the most tragic aspect of all is that it was based on actual events. The Lovely Bones true story comes both from a real murder and the lived experience of author Alice Sebold, who wrote the 2002 novel that director Peter Jacksons supernatural drama is based on. In The Lovely Bones, 14-year-old Susie (Saoirse Ronan) is sexually assaulted and murdered by George Harvey (Stanley Tucci), a serial killer who lives in Susies neighborhood.

Susie spends most of the story of The Lovely Bones as a spirit, unable to do anything but watch as Harvey continues his crimes while her own family is torn apart by grief. While Harvey eventually meets his demise by the end of the movie, the ending is far from cathartic, and it remains an incredibly emotional story without much justice for Susie herself.