Posted at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 6

Ellen Page (left) and Catherine Keener fascinate in the disturbing based-on-fact film "An American Crime."

As much as you laughed at Ellen Page's travails in “Juno,” you’ll cringe at what happens to her in “An American Crime."

Based on transcripts from a 1966 murder trial, "Crime," airing at 8 p.m. Saturday on Showtime, takes an unflinching look at the gruesome torture and murder of an Indiana teen in 1965. It presents a grisly example of how cruel humans can be that, disturbingly, you may not be able to turn off.

Sylvia Likens and her sister Jennie are left by their parents in the temporary custody of harried Gertrude Baniszewski, a single mom who can barely take care of her own five children.

Almost immediately, Gertie takes her stress out on poor Sylvia by “punishing” her for lying and other made-up charges.

As Gertrude’s punishments get more severe, Gertie’s children join in and they, in turn, introduce friends to the sadistic rituals against Sylvia, who is locked in the basement of Gertie’s house. Soon the whole neighborhood is in on the dehumanization of Sylvia, either because they take part or—and possibly worse—they do nothing to stop what they see or hear.

This viewer, too, felt complicit in the horrible events. I have to admire the great performances—Page as stoic Sylvia and especially a chilling Catherine Keener as Gertie. But at the same time, I was repulsed by the disgusting events shown.

Still, I couldn’t turn away. Does that make me just as monstrous?

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