Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart - Comments & Tips

Good documentary but I can't shake the feeling there's more to the story. The girl shows zero emotions talking about it all (same as her father crying without tears). Could it be that she actually wanted to leave with them? They talked about how much into religion she was and the two weirdos were all about faith. She could have been brainwashed and all she talks about can be a good cover up story. After all she is from a rich family that desperately needed to fix their reputation after both her dad and uncle were being suspected... The last thing they would need would be for her to come clean about something like that. So a good story would fix it all. I know I'm most probably too paranoid but all these true crime documentaries taught me to question everything.

This is a well filmed doco with okay pacing, but structurally is a bit messy. There are moments where further context feels warranted, but was glazed over. Music was overly dramatic and did not lend itself well to the true story. Along with that, there are obvious fake moments here that were not necessary, and makes me feel this is just another Netflix doco where they care more for entertainment than truth. More so than other studios that is. Unfortunately, a lot of the reenactments also felt off, could be that they had the real life people involved do it instead of acting doubles where appropriate, but I appreciate their willingness to do so for the filmmakers. Some awkward audio sync errors or overdubbing in the beginning I noticed too. But yeah main gripes here are the push of narrative over facts, but that's usually any true crime documentary nowadays... especially on Netflix. **6/10**

Good documentary, feels like there could have more information/detail that wasn’t covered. But good overall

True crime documentaries rarely have a positive ending. A well-done documentary can keep anyone unfamiliar with the case in suspense.

A clear, restrained documentary that offers a chronological account of Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapping and captivity, anchored by her own deeply affecting testimony. It may not break new ground for those familiar with the case, but it thoughtfully examines family trauma, flawed police work, and the lasting psychological impact on survivors, all without sensationalism.