I think most of the reviewers got a bit carried away here on IMDb, making it look like The Dead Girl was one of the best movies ever. I don't say it was a bad movie, not at all, it's certainly worth a watch, but it's not a masterpiece either. The acting is good, from everybody, but I didn't really like the concept of the story telling. For example if you like Toni Collette, like I do, you better be prepared watching her role in the beginning and then never see her again. I don't think that was a smart move in this movie. But that's how this movie works, you get to watch small independent stories about the event. I would have scored it a bit higher if it was not for the ending that I thought was weak. Other than that it's not a bad movie but we've all seen better.

Movies that have different storytelling techniques are always appealing to watch and "The Dead Girl" does it by segmenting the narrative structure into five chapters, all inter-connecting in the end. You definitely need to have a well-written script for even attempting such a film and I think that is where it falls a bit flat."The Dead Girl" tells the story young girl, played by the regretted Brittany Murphy, who is murdered and shows us the different people that were affected by or were directly affecting the death of the girl. The premise sounds stunning and the acting is astounding from the likes of a hugely talented cast, Brittany Murphy, Toni Collette, Giovanni Ribisi or Marcia Gay Harden just to name a few. Some segments made sense and were better than other, but there were a couple that simply didn't work out in my opinion."The Dead Girl" has an interesting take on the murder mystery genre but it's just not that entertaining in the long haul. I have seen a lot of praises for it, each to his or her valid opinions, but it just did not captivate me enough to say that it's a great movie.

I enjoyed this movie and the fact that it is split into chapters and all the characters tie together. Each chapter you learn a little more about them and it doesn't all make sense until the final and you get one of those "aha" moments and I liked that. I thought the ending was a little weird though, I thought it would have been more exciting, but it was just, OK well that's it then. Other than that I would say good watch. The characters are all interesting and you really get a feel for their lives in the short chapters, especially the wife and the sister, those two were very emotional. I really like the fact that you don't know what is going to happen at the end until it reaches the end, it is impossible to predict, unlike some other movies that are predictable.

Karen Moncrieff's 'The Dead Girl' tells the harrowing tale of five women whose fractured lives are affected by the discovery of a dead girl. There's the fragile and abused Arden (Toni Collette) who discovers the body, the tormented Leah (Rose Byrne) the medical examiner of the body, frustrated Ruth (Mary-Beth Hurt), the wife of the man who murdered the girl, a concerned Melora, mother of the dead girl and the title girl (Brittany Murphy) desperate to get presents to her daughter.Moncrief is a fine storyteller and she does it with profound depth. She grabs the viewers attention from the very beginning and manages to keep the film under control without sensationalizing the story. Her subtle writing and direction are exceptional. She divides the story into five chapters and she takes the method of non-linear storytelling to a new level. At first she starts off by showing us the perspective of the stranger who is only linked to the girl in the title because she found her mutilated body. Then she shows us the point of view of the medical examiner, followed by the killer's wife, mother and the girl in question. There is a lyrical quality in the way these five sad stories are portrayed. The score is efficiently used.'The Dead Girl' additionally shines with one of the finest ensembles that delivers poignant performances. Toni Collette, Rose Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, Piper Laurie, Mary Beth Hurt, Brittany Murphy, Kerry Washington, Mary Steenburgen, James Franco, Josh Brolin and Giovanni Ribisi are astonishing in their portrayal of broken people.'The Dead Girl' is a frightening, sad, poignant and beautifully crafted little film about shattered lives and their longing for something different. The haunting fade-out in the end lingers in the questioning mind.