What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedKidnapped
Marco Bellocchio · Film · 2023
If you loved Kidnapped, start with Kidnapped (Robert Louis Stevenson, 1980) — a book from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Kidnapped across media.
What hooked you in Kidnapped was the way institutional authority exerts devastating, life-altering pressure upon the sanctity of the family unit.
Start with the source
Books on the same thread
News of a Kidnapping
Gabriel García Márquez · Book · 2014
Shares a thread with Kidnapped: Kidnapping.
Just as the papacy used a child as a political pawn in Kidnapped, this narrative explores how cartels manipulate innocent lives to bargain with the highest levels of government.
A Stolen Life: A Memoir
Jaycee Dugard · Book · 2011
Explores: child abduction, captivity, Stockholm Syndrome.
While Kidnapped examines the state-sanctioned separation of a child, this memoir offers a harrowing, intimate look at the long-term psychological consequences of being forcibly removed from one's family.
Pinocchio
Carlo Collodi · Book · 1996
Explores: Transformation, Redemption, Consequences.
If the themes of forced transformation in Kidnapped resonated with you, this classic tale provides a surreal look at the struggle for identity when one is pulled away from home.
The Pope at War
David I. Kertzer · Book · 2023
Explores: Papacy, Catholic Church, Nazi Germany.
This historical account deepens your understanding of the complex political machinery of the Vatican, providing essential context for the institutional religious power depicted throughout the story of Kidnapped.
Series on the same thread
The Young Pope
Paolo Sorrentino · Series · 2016
Shares 2 threads with Kidnapped: Religious Drama, Political Drama.
Those fascinated by the secretive, high-stakes maneuvering of the church in Kidnapped will find this exploration of modern Vatican power struggles and moral ambiguity to be a compelling companion.
The Borgias
Neil Jordan · Series · 2011
Shares 2 threads with Kidnapped: Historical Drama, Political Drama.
This series captures the same atmosphere of religious corruption and political intrigue found in Kidnapped, showing how those in power often exploit their positions to enforce their own agendas.
The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping
Series · 2024
Explores: Institutional Abuse, Child Abuse, Trauma.
Much like the institutional betrayal seen in Kidnapped, this documentary exposes how organizations use their authority to override the rights of youth and inflict lasting trauma on vulnerable families.
Jesus of Nazareth
Franco Zeffirelli · Series · 1977
Shares a thread with Kidnapped: Historical Drama.
If the religious backdrop of Kidnapped caught your interest, this epic provides a grander perspective on the faith and historical events that shape the foundations of Western religious life.
Podcasts on the same thread
1619
The New York Times · Podcast · 2019
Explores: systemic racism, national identity, legacy of slavery.
The systemic forces that tear families apart in Kidnapped are echoed in this exploration of how national policies and history continue to shape the lives of marginalized populations today.
Criminal
Podcast
Explores: Justice, Wrongful Conviction, Morality.
This podcast mirrors the investigative spirit of Kidnapped by examining the complex intersection of morality and law, highlighting the lives of those caught in the gears of justice.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Kidnapped based on a true story?
Yes, Kidnapped depicts the true story of Edgardo Mortara, a young Jewish boy from Bologna, Italy. In 1858, he was forcibly taken from his family by the papacy after a secret baptism, sparking a major political conflict during the era of Italian unification.
Should I read the book before watching the 2023 movie Kidnapped?
The 2023 film Kidnapped and the 1980 book are both adaptations of the same historical events involving Edgardo Mortara. You do not need to read the book to understand the film, as both works independently cover the struggle between the Mortara family and the papacy.
How does Kidnapped relate to Italian unification?
In Kidnapped, the abduction of Edgardo Mortara becomes a focal point for a larger political battle. The parents' fight to reclaim their son highlights the tensions between the power of the papacy and the growing forces of democracy that sought to achieve Italian unification during the nineteenth century.
What is the primary conflict in Kidnapped?
The primary conflict in Kidnapped centers on the forced removal of a young Jewish boy from his home in 1858. After being secretly baptized, he is taken to be raised as a Christian, leading his parents into a protracted legal and political struggle against the papacy.