I'm surprised that the strange events of Chowchilla aren't more widely known and talked about, especially in this age of true crime obsession. The brief disappearance of a school bus full of children and its driver in this small California town has to be one of the most unusual occurrences I've ever heard about - stuff like this can't be invented. The sheer oddity of this story automatically makes it worth watching, and it can't help but be compelling, but the documentary itself isn't entirely successful. Whether by choice or necessity, we aren't provided with enough interviews by those who were directly involved, and we aren't provided enough backstory into the lives of the gentlemen behind the disappearance. Certain aspects of what happened are brought up and briefly discussed but not fully realized. I think particularly of a small controversy about the true "hero" behind their eventual escape. I realize there aren't always a lot of answers in bizarre circumstances such as these, but I think some deeper investigation and introspection could have made this more of a satisfying watch. I certainly think it should be seen, particularly by those unfamiliar with the crime, but it's not a wholly satisfying viewing experience. - Jeff Marshall,.

This movie is incredibly attention grabbing for the first hour or so as it follows the story of the kidnapped, their escape, and the kidnappers' incarceration. The latter half of this documentary, however, is quite dull compared to its counterpart. It covers how the kidnappers received parole, the psychological impact on the kidnapped over the years, and the change in societal response since. As much as I can appreciate that CPTSD is a very real and very serious affliction, the way this film approaches it is a bit "off" to say the least. By the end I felt like this whole story was used as a way to advertise how far crisis responders have come in the last few decades instead of giving these victims the time of day that they deserve. Results may vary, that's just how I felt.

Directed by Paul Solet. A runtime of one hour and thirty-eight minutes. Streaming on MAX.

This is the documentary about the twenty-six children who were abducted in Chowchilla, California. You watched how these kids and their bus driver were stopped and kidnapped. To them being taken to this remote place and put in a makeshift tunnel. That ends with them being buried alive.

But you'll learn that this was supposed to be a master plan, planned out by three well-off morons. You see this crazy tale: the chaos is caused and the fallout from it all. To the severe and not-so-severe repercussions.

"Chowchilla" was a story I didn't know about. I asked my friend Pam about it because she's a little older than me. She vaguely remembered this story, even to this day.

Back in the 1970s, this was a huge thing. Can you imagine sending your child on the bus to school, and when you go to pick them up, they aren't there? You have to remember that this is the 1970s; there weren't any cell phones or anything like that. If you wanted to get in contact with someone, you had to hunt them down.

The fear those parents had to go through was immense. Then, when you listen to the interviews with the children who are now adults. You see how this event drastically changed their lives. Even to learn about the people who planned this. It's sickening.

This whole documentary pissed me off. Everyone dropped the ball. So many people failed those kids. When you find out what happened to the kidnappers, they will just piss you off even more.

To see the lack of care for mental health was gut-wrenching. I know mental health is more of a topic now, but still, you would think what happened would be taken more seriously. People don't realize that back in the day, the mentality was to put some dirt on it and keep it moving. They'll be fine.

The documentary was okay. The topic was intriguing, but the way it was done could have been better. It wasn't the best documentary I've seen. Regardless, I still feel for all the victims. They were done wrong. I give it three more fires ????.

#CosmoandtheMovieWithin #CosmoMovieBlog #CosmoLanier #Chowchilla.