A Crime That Captivated America Is Now One of the Biggest Movies in the World

Sometimes, the media begin reporting on a crime, and something about it makes the world take notice. More than two decades ago, that happened when a kidnapping victim was thrust into the spotlight for a variety of reasons. Now, a documentary that chronicles that story has suddenly become one of the biggest movies in the world.

Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart Is a Massive Global Hit on Netflix

On January 21, 2026, Netflix released the true crime documentary Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart. The next day, Flix Patrol named the top 10 movies on the streaming service globally and placed the documentary in the second spot. Flix Patrol compiles that ranking by breaking down Netflix's top 10 lists in every country the streaming service is available and tracking how many times each movie appears. That means that Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart appeared on charts around the world in prominent positions.

Notably, Flix Patrol ranked the true crime documentary higher than many other movies that have been getting a lot of attention, including People We Meet on Vacation and KPop Demond Hunters. Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart was only beaten on the chart by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's much anticipated action thriller, The Rip.

Anyone who was alive at the time of Elizabeth Smart's kidnapping likely won't be too surprised to see her in the spotlight once again.

Elizabeth Smart's Kidnapping Captivated the World 23 Years Ago

On June 5, 2002, Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her childhood bedroom when she was 14 years old, according to a New York Times article that detailed the crime and its aftermath. Months later, the world was stunned when she was rescued on March 12, 2003. The fascination with her story certainly didn’t end there, as more revelations continued to feed the fire of attention.

Years after Smart, who is now 38, was returned home, Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee were put on trial for the crime of kidnapping. Long before that, it was publicly revealed that Smart had been held just a few miles from her home for a time. That fact led to a lot of jokes and conjecture amongst media personalities. One memorable example of that came when Dave Chappelle joked about Smart's abduction during his 2004 comedy special For What It's Worth.

In December 2010, Mitchell was found guilty of kidnapping in federal court. He was then sentenced to life in prison for the crime. While serving his sentence, Mitchell has been attacked multiple times, according to a Biography article about him. Barzee was also found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison, but a plea deal led to her receiving credit for 7 years.