Who Took Johnny
Who Took Johnny
| 17 January 2014 (USA)
Who Took Johnny Trailers

An examination of the infamous thirty-year-old cold case of Iowa paperboy Johnny Gosch, the first missing child to appear on a milk carton. The film focuses on Johnny’s mother, Noreen Gosch, and her relentless quest to find the truth about what happened to her son. Along the way there have been mysterious sightings, bizarre revelations, and a confrontation with a person who claims to have helped abduct Johnny.

Reviews
WasAnnon Slow pace in the most part of the movie.
Plustown A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.
Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.
Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
Platypuschow It must be very hard to make a documentary about subject matter as inconclusive as this. Missing kid, lot of assumptions but no resolution several decades later.Summing it up it follows a boy who went missing during his paper round and a string of people who may or may not be connected and claims by the mother that understandably come into question.Full of archive footage and interviews from as far back as the early 80's when the boy went missing the documentary is competently made but the whole thing is nothing but one big question mark.Though a couple of mysteries regarding other children are solved this case has never and almost certainly will never be.The most interesting thing to come away from this documentary and case are the stances of the police/FBI. Was there a cover up? If so why? Or was this just good old fashioned incompetence.Not the most compelling viewing but watchable all the same if you go in knowing you won't really learn anything at all of the case.
Tss5078 In 1982, missing children reports were so rare, that often times the local authorities didn't take them seriously. Most of these kids were considered runaways, as authorities at the time couldn't even fathom the depths of depravity that some people are capable of sinking to. In the case of Johnny Gosch, not only wasn't he a runaway, the compelling documentary, Who Took Johnny?, and the subsequent books by his mother, Noreen, have shown that not only may Johnny still be alive 35 years later, but he may have suffered more torture than anyone in the history of this planet. On September 5, 1982, Johnny Gosch, a local paperboy was abducted from Des Moines, Iowa. Despite eyewitness statements, the local police, considered him to be a runaway. Over the years evidence and even a witness go to the FBI to say that Johnny was used for human trafficking. Pictures have turned up and even his mother claims, Johnny stopped by the house for a brief time, 15 years after he'd disappeared. The documentary shows how the local authorities, didn't care and mishandled the case right from the very beginning, and how the FBI kept the family completely in the dark. To this day, despite the fact that her son could be god-knows-where, Noreen Gosch has become an outspoken defender for missing children and the rights of their parents. There is no doubt that this documentary is anything but unbiased and impartial, and while I'm not sure I believe everything Mrs. Gosch says, when taken as a whole, one can't ignore everything that happened in this case. The other side of this gave blanket statements or declined to be interviewed, which tells me, she's right about more than a few things, and even if a third of this is true, it's appalling. When catastrophe strikes, we rely on those in power to take care of us and make things right, but what happens if they just don't want to? This documentary is truly eye-opening and provides plenty of ammunition to victims rights advocates.
U.N. Owen Though the abduction of ANYone is sad, the US has been overcome in he past 2-3 decades with paranoia, and conspiracy lunatics - almost all uneducated, and it's a rife situation for a documentary like this.In the late 80's, a teenager named John Gosch was kidnapped. To this day, it's unsolved.This leads the door warped open for everyone - people who think the 'global elitists', and the 'devil worshiping' took him. And on, and on.Just looking at parts of some of these 'reviews', shows which the people who loved his, have limited mental capacities, themselves; 'adejesus614' says it 'shades the light'. Sorry, it's 'SHEDS' light. (Oh, yes, as you can see from this person's nickname, they're a typical right wing, religious wacko).No, there's no 'secret cabal', and it's certainly got nothing to do, with some backwater, like Des Moines, Iowa (folks, wake up, and get some schooling!). More than likely, the young man met a terrible fate, by some sick person. End of story. No, he's not hanging with Elvis, nor any reptilian aliens'.But, these people have their brains so, so screwed up, I'm to sure which is worse; the simple truth of this kid, or the BIGGER story; the IQ of a country the size of the US, IS RAPIDLY sinking. And with it, the rise of deluded thinking.
g_cupec I have been reading about this case heavily since I retired several years back along with two others closer to my home. The reason they seem hard to believe is they seem to incredible to be true.They say knowledge is power. This documentary brings together years of information from Noreen Gosch and others and presents it in a digestible, yet, scary format. Human trafficking has been going on we have been doing see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil. That does not work anymore. Whether or not you have children this is a documentary that will give a baptism into the world of Noreen Gosch and the outright defiance she faced in getting even the slightest bit of help for her son. Yet, she persevered so other did not have to suffer her boy's fate. I highly recommend watching this documentary, it is eye opening and inspirational.