Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart

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Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart

2026

1h 31m

Documentary

Crime

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100%

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11 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

In the early hours of June 5, 2002, 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her bedroom in Salt Lake City, Utah, igniting one of the most intense and widely covered missing-person cases in American history. Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart is a gripping documentary feature that takes viewers inside the real story — told in Elizabeth’s own words and through exclusive interviews with her family, investigators, and those closest to the case. Blending archival footage and never-before-seen material, the film traces the harrowing nine months of Elizabeth’s captivity at the hands of Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee. It explores the psychological and emotional toll on Elizabeth and her family, the relentless media attention, and the community’s tireless search for answers that recounts the indefatigable resolve to survive that kept Elizabeth alive, and her spirit strong — even 20 years later. The documentary not only revisits the events that shocked a nation but also spotlights Elizabeth’s journey of healing and her ongoing mission to inspire and protect others.

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Lucy Mangan

Guardian

5d

3/5

It is striking and undeniably uplifting how firmly she explains herself, outlines her extraordinary suffering and the psychological effects of intense fear at the hands of a violent man, and puts the responsibility back on Mitchell.

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Glenn Kenny

New York Times

6d

Her resilience and frankly astonishing good humor come through as well. That her life since her ordeal has returned to normal — she’s now married, with children of her own — adds another dimension to her miracle.

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Richard Roeper

RogerEbert.com

Jan 19

3/4

While there’s no new ground to be covered—Elizabeth’s captors were long ago brought to justice—it’s still a journalistically thorough and fascinating look back at the story.

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Jennifer Green

Common Sense Media

1h

4/5

A gripping entry to the growing body of true crime documentaries, this film's firsthand testimonies, archive footage, and memorable recreations build a suspenseful tale.

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Barbara Ellen

Observer (UK)

23h

This is a robust documentary... The miracle is not only that Elizabeth managed to survive her ordeal, but that she went on to become an impressive spokesperson for survivors of sexual violence.

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Jonathon Wilson

Ready Steady Cut

3d

3.5/5

Her testimony is frank and unflinching, providing an intimate, deeply personal lens through which to view the heinous experiences she was subjected to.

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Evan H

5h

*Mild spoilers - Perhaps the format of the show, but should have been a series. The interviews with Elizabeth were surface, the crescendo of the story was very rushed. What was the motive? Were they stalking her beforehand? Did they confirm the intruders entered through the window and why was it so clean? How did she survive? How was she found? How were the suspects found? How was her time assimilating back into society as a young girl? How did her parents reconcile what happened other than being joyful she was home? What was family life and the anxiety in the home in the years following?

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Sean M.

@goofyodeler 2d

An amazing and well told story. Crazier than fiction. Elizabeth is so powerful. Story insanely crazy. Very well told with good interviews.

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Brenna C.

@brennw 2d

Very good, it is so different to watch a crime documentary where the survivor sits in to give her point of view.

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Joshua m

@Flameon 4d

Even if you are familiar with the story, it's still a good watch. All the Smart family members come across as admirable people.

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Koo K

@Koocool 6d

A solid documentary and a horrific story to a case, that was (as a non-american) not known to me before. Interesting and gut wrenching, but I truly applaud especially Elizabeth for telling her story. She's a true survivor from an ordeal one never fully recovers. What was strange to me was that missing completely from the documentary was Elizabeth's mother because "she's ready to leave it in the past." As a SA survivor, to me that's very odd. Maybe her husband coming out as gay and the divorce after that in 2019 had something to do with it. Of course it should have not impacted the support for her daughter, but it was strange nevertheless.

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Benedict Sanderson

Director

Elizabeth Smart

Self

Claire Goodlass

Executive Producer

Morgan Matthews

Executive Producer

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Synopsis

In the early hours of June 5, 2002, 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her bedroom in Salt Lake City, Utah, igniting one of the most intense and widely covered missing-person cases in American history. Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart is a gripping documentary feature that takes viewers inside the real story — told in Elizabeth’s own words and through exclusive interviews with her family, investigators, and those closest to the case. Blending archival footage and never-before-seen material, the film traces the harrowing nine months of Elizabeth’s captivity at the hands of Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee. It explores the psychological and emotional toll on Elizabeth and her family, the relentless media attention, and the community’s tireless search for answers that recounts the indefatigable resolve to survive that kept Elizabeth alive, and her spirit strong — even 20 years later. The documentary not only revisits the events that shocked a nation but also spotlights Elizabeth’s journey of healing and her ongoing mission to inspire and protect others.

Director: Benedict Sanderson
Distributor: Netflix
Genre: Documentary, Crime
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 21, 2026
Runtime: 1h 31m

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