Watch Who Took Johnny

The movie Who Took Johnny, released in 2014, is a true crime documentary that dives into one of the most perplexing missing child cases in American history. The film chronicles the disappearance of twelve-year-old Johnny Gosch from his Des Moines, Iowa neighborhood in September of 1982 and the continued investigation into his abduction over three decades later.

The primary focus of the documentary is Johnny's mother, Noreen, who has been fighting for answers on her son's behalf since the day he vanished. Noreen's interviews and personal footage, along with archival news segments and crime scene photos, form the foundation of the narrative, which lays out the frustrating and often shocking truths uncovered over the years.

As the title suggests, the movie poses the question "Who took Johnny?" and examines a variety of possibilities. The first segment of the film explores the conspiracy theory that Johnny was taken by a high-level pedophile ring, possibly linked to local politicians and law enforcement officials. Over the years, Noreen has claimed that she has received cryptic messages from sources claiming to be Johnny himself, indicating that he may have been sold into sex trafficking in New York City. The documentary delves into investigations by private investigators and journalists who attempted to corroborate these claims, revealing just how murky the dark world of organized child abduction can be.

The documentary also focuses on a figure that many true crime fans have likely heard of: Paul Bonacci. Bonacci is a convicted child abuser who came forward in the 90s to claim that he, along with a number of other men, were involved in Johnny's kidnapping. In Who Took Johnny, Bonacci gives an extended interview from inside prison, describing in graphic detail how he and others kidnapped and abused Johnny and other children. While much of his story has been proven false, the documentary raises unsettling questions about the possibility that there were others involved in Johnny's abduction who were never held accountable.

One of the most disturbing aspects of the film is its exploration of the failures of law enforcement and the media in the wake of Johnny's disappearance. At the time, the Des Moines police department was understaffed and underequipped to handle such a high-profile case. Making matters worse, Johnny's parents were quickly suspected of being involved in their son's disappearance, with little evidence to support the accusation. The media, too, came under scrutiny for the way they reported on the case, with sensationalized headlines and little attention paid to the facts.

The documentary is full of twists and turns, each new revelation more shocking than the last. Despite the fact that Johnny's case is over thirty years old, the film manages to maintain a sense of immediacy and urgency, thanks in no small part to Noreen herself. Her fierce determination to find out what happened to her son, and the toll it has taken on her family and her own mental health, is both heartbreaking and inspiring.

Without giving too much away, it's fair to say that Who Took Johnny is not a film for the faint of heart. The subject matter is harrowing and deeply unsettling, and some of the interviews and reconstructed scenes may be too graphic for viewers. That being said, the documentary is an important one, shedding light on a case that remains unsolved to this day, and giving a voice to a mother who has never given up hope.

Who Took Johnny is a 2014 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 21 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.1.