Netflix's Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart - A True Crime Documentary Hit

6 days ago 10

Published Jan 28, 2026, 4:08 PM EST

Rahul Malhotra is a Weekend News Writer for Collider. From Francois Ozon to David Fincher, he'll watch anything once.

He has been writing for Collider for over two years, and has covered everything from Marvel to the Oscars, and Marvel at the Oscars. He also writes obsessively about the box office, charting the many hits and misses that are released weekly, and how their commercial performance shapes public perception. In his time at Collider, he has also helped drive diversity by writing stories about the multiple Indian film industries, with a goal to introduce audiences to a whole new world of cinema.

Swing and a miss > measured victory. Also, #JusticeForHan. (He/Him).

Audiences trying to recover from Jack O'Connell's menacing performance as a Satanist cult leader in Nia DaCosta's horror sequel 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple might find it helpful to repeat the old adage, "It's just a movie." However, the story recalled in the new Netflix true-crime documentary Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart cannot be brushed aside as easily. The documentary revolves around a maniacal cult leader as well, but unlike so many other true crime titles, it spotlights the survivor's voice over his. The film revisits the 2002 kidnapping of a Utah teen named Elizabeth Smart, who participates prominently to narrate her experience with grace, clarity, and purpose. Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart emerged as an instant hit after being released on Netflix this week.

According to FlixPatrol, it jumped to the number two spot on both the domestic and global Netflix charts, trailing only the recently released crime movie The Rip, starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart doesn't yet have an official score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, although each of the eight reviews listed so far is positive. In the film, Smart is joined by her family, including her father, uncles, and younger sister, who played a huge role in her rescue. Directed by Benedict Sanderson, who has previously made documentary films about the bombing of Japan during World War 2 and scandals surrounding the Church of England, Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart arrives only months after the very similar Netflix series Amy Bradley Is Missing.

The Netflix True-Crime Documentary 'The Perfect Neighbor' Scored an Oscar Nod Recently

The streamer has also released a deeply researched series based on the disappearance of the British child Madeleine McCann, who was reportedly kidnapped from her room during a family vacation in Portugal. Smart was also abducted from her bedroom, and her disappearance inspired the entire city of Utah to band together. The film also examines ideas of religious indoctrination, the limitations of law enforcement, and the lens through which conservative communities view certain subjects. On its second day of release, Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart was able to outperform the James Bond movies No Time to Die and Spectre, which were released along with every other installment of the franchise on Netflix at around the same time. The streamer scored an Oscar nomination in the Best Documentary Feature category this week, for the widely acclaimed true-crime film The Perfect Neighbor.

You can watch Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart on Netflix. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.