Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart - A Sensitive True Crime Documentary on Netflix

True crime has been a source of fascination for viewers for years, and that is unlikely to change in the near future. Netflix, one streaming platform that capitalizes on this, releases documentaries featuring cults, serial killers, and murders. One of the newest to hit the streaming is the long-anticipated feature about the heartwrenching abduction of Elizabeth Smart in 2002. Entitled Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, the film is under two hours and chronicles the harrowing mystery of what happened to her from her perspective. Smart tells her account, and is joined by family members who fill in the gaps about what happened at home.

In Salt Lake City, Utah, at only 14 years old, Smart was taken from her bedroom at knifepoint, witnessed only by her nine-year-old sister. The authorities quickly zeroed in on family members and false leads. Mary Katherine recalled the identity of the kidnapper. She knew him as Emmanuel, a strange man who had done odd jobs around their house from time to time. Her recollection was correct because that night, Emmanuel kidnapped Smart under the guise of adhering to his religion. Emmanuel took Smart to a campsite deep in the mountains, and for almost a year, Smart endured assaults by the alleged preacher. Kidnapped is a concise film and is a thorough addition to the Netflix collection of documentaries. More than that, however, it does what not many true crime films have done before.

‘Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart’ Is a Sensitive Portrayal of True Crime

Society’s obsession with true crime has led to some sensationalized portrayals of the subject. Ryan Murphy is perhaps most famous for glamorizing serial killers for the small screen. Documentaries can also delve too deeply into this territory and risk re-traumatizing those who watch it. Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart avoids this entirely, and there is a reason for that. Smart was heavily involved in the project, and the creators of the documentary wanted to make sure they had her approval.

“They wanted to be so sensitive to me. Well, I didn’t go on vacation,” Smart noted on Netflix’s podcast, Skip Intro. “I definitely wasn’t just sunbathing up in the mountains waiting for someone to come and rescue me.” She continued: “When I saw the final cut, I was like, ‘Thank you.’ [The filmmakers] made me proud. They did justice to my story.”

Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart reported the facts without sensationalizing them. Smart herself revisited the trauma she experienced at the hands of Emmanuel, whose real name was Brian David Mitchell. Mitchell was eventually apprehended because the Smart family released a sketch that authorities previously held back. He was recognized by a family member who acknowledged they would not be surprised if Mitchell was involved.

Smart’s ultimate rescue allowed her to become a public advocate for sexual assault survivors, as she became determined to see Mitchell put behind bars. Though legal proceedings took a decade to complete, she went on the stand to ensure he would never hurt anyone again. Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart laid out these details without being too salacious and with Smart’s full cooperation. The film does its job in telling the story while being sensitive to Smart’s experience.