53 Days: The Abduction of Mary Stauffer (2019)

I know that this is based on true events and that it effectively involved a deeply religious person, but it was still too present throughout the film for my liking. Apart from that, the conversations between kidnapper and kidnapped were fascinating, but the story as presented in the film lends itself more to a documentary because it lacks a bit of substance.

Now, as for the true facts... just experience it. Threatening to harm the daughter so that the mother would give in and let herself be assaulted, stemming from a distorted idea of love. And that for 53 days. Ultimately, I think that documentary gives a slightly more complete picture than what you get from the film, even though the latter is full of stupid footage and narrated by an AI voice.

The aftermath of how the trial unfolded certainly added value. And so, this more complete story actually lends itself to a much more compelling film. But with all elements incorporated more fully—the preparation, the acts themselves, and the aftermath. Conclusion: enormous untapped potential.

Translated from Dutch · View original