Watch Kidnapped for Christ For Free

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

A different way of telling a story

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Thank God! That somebody finally shine some light into how dark & disturbing, some of these faith-based reform centers can be. It's extreme evangelicalism at its very worst. Directed by a then- young evangelical filmmaker, Kate Logan; the 2014's documentary film set in 2006, takes an inside look at one of these institution; where kids are removed from their homes & forced to live in isolation in a foreign country, with little to no connect with concerned friends & relatives, doing hard labor, while also being subjected to a range of abuses, both physical and emotional. It's a very insightful enlightening documentary. However, there were somethings that could had made the film, a little better to watch. One of them, is having equal amount of experiences storytelling. I felt that, one of the subjects, David Wernsman's story, really did overshadow, the other two, Tai Mathieu, and Angie Blattner. Don't get me wrong, Wernsman's struggles in the rehab center was indeed, one of the most captivating parts of the documentary; but, if you're going to focus on the message about all the different types of negative experiences, an controversial Christian behavior modification program like 'Escuela Caribe' in the Dominican Republic has on people. Maybe, you shouldn't be, focusing most of your time on one person. That was one of the flaws of the documentary. Because of that, the film's core arguments & message does sound a little too repetitive & vague at times. This sucks, because the film could had gone into the really harsh nitty gritty allegations, made by other people against the center; such as death threats, sexually assault, & most of all, the unsafe working conditions that led to one death. It really could had gone deep, but instead, the film only cover the surface level of abuse. Sadly, this is not enough, to gain attention in the public & politic circles. A film like this, needs more victims like Julia Scheeres & Deirdre Sugiuchi to speak out about centers like this, to truly, make a different. Not only that, but more valid talking heads to endorse these claims. Because of the lack of that, these allegations will remain merely assertion, until they can finally be proved true. Sadly, it might takes another 'Jonestown' for any big reform to happen to these institutions. Another thing that could had, made this movie, even better, was giving more time on explaining how facilities like 'Escuela Caribe', were able to get, rich Evangelists parents to fly their children to outside countries like Dominican Republic, in hope that faith and discipline would cure & purge their sons and daughters of "ungodly" influences. After all, it was pretty jarring to hear stories of complete strangers being able to take children, oversea, by themselves, with only the parent's blessing. It really seen, like there was more to that story that the film wasn't telling us. It would had been nice to see, one of the parents being interview for this documentary to tell, their side of the story to see if they were aware of the center's questionable practices and motives. Sadly, we didn't get that. Instead, 2014's 'Kidnapped for Christ' made the parents of the subjects seem like unseen villains. Despite that, I did like how director, Kate Logan injected herself into her own film, as she played a vital part in helping one student try to escape. Seeing her, challenge her own faith, and developed a character arch from naïve religionist filmmaker into an activist for human rights was one of the highlight of the film. The film is so much more powerful with her, being there. However, it came with a cost, as the movie came across as somewhat biased; which happens to be, somewhat true. While, the documentary tries to be fair to a certain extent; allowing the faculty staff ample amount of time to tell their side of the story, through interviews. It's clear by the end, that the sheer weights of inhumane allegations against them, was too much, for Logan is play nice. After all, none of the living subjects, feature in the film, really deserve this type of punishment. Many of them, have never been in a juvenile delinquency center or commit a major crime. In the case of the three main subjects; their cases ranges from panic attacks, homosexual and physical childhood trauma. It's a clear conclusion that the folks in 'Escuela Caribe' had no clue, how to handle them. Even if, Logan was still trying to make a heartwarming film, it was nearly impossible for the faculty to be shown in a good light. The way, they ran that place was far worse than any modern day military boot camp. No wonder, why people found this documentary, upsetting. The things, they do in god's name is truly disgusting. The sheer fact that they drive most people away from religion is telling you, that they didn't do a good job. In the end, they close down and reopen under a different name 'Crosswinds'. Hopefully, they will shut down for good, one day. Overall: I have to say, educated yourself by watching this documentary! Learn how to be a good parent by trying to understand, what they're going through. Be aware, of their feelings. That's my advice. Don't ever sent your children, away to therapy institutions like this! Places like 'Escuela Caribe' can go to hell!

Enlightening film and very well made. It's most surprising to me how much the "school" let the cameras in. Clearly the folks running these types of facilities are not too aware of the effects of their actions, or worse, maybe they do. So sad this happens. I wish I could find out what happened to David and some of the other kinds in the program. I'm glad to see the former alumni are uniting to expose this type of cruelty.Sorry to the one reviewer who was offended by the title of the film, but too bad. I know good Christians. But so much harm has come to humans in the name of "god," even from those who follow the King James bible. The film's title is absolutely fair.

I just watched this Documentary, Kidnapped For Christ. It's a simple but good and necessary film that glances at what it's like for teens raised in Religious families that are forcibly moved to a foreign Country (Dominican Republic) to live in a Christian Camp-like Rehabilitation center for "troubled" teens that get into lots of trouble and/or disobey parents that feel they can longer control or influence their child's thoughts, behavior & life choices.Once there, the teens are force fed the usual judgmental/guilt-ridden melancholy BS found in all Bibles. They're forced to do various chores and a list of other strict things as well. They have to ask for permission to do everything and they have to be careful what they say and do; who they reveal anything to because they will be punished physically with a paddle, solitary confinement, verbal abuse and more. The film states that this type of organization is a Billion dollar business no doubt because the parents have to pay regular fees over a period of many months; likely until the parents and the organization feels it's time to return home.Many of the teens that are eventually released from these organizations are scarred for life because an imprint of all they endured is sealed in their minds forever, the few constructive methods as well as all the abusive methods. Anyone that has ever been abused (repeatedly) can tell you that those unpleasant/abusive moments experienced in life tend to stick with you and those memories can resurface when you least expect them to. They also have to face their parents again, the people that paid lots of money to make all this happen in the first place. Very extreme and expensive measures were taken by the parents in having their child "kidnapped" and shipped off to a foreign country to be cared for by unpredictable strangers that often appear emotionless & cold.I was definitely entertained and left with a lot of unanswered questions but I have a feeling much of the information left out was done so for legal reasons; yet the parents must have consented to allow their children to take part in this documentary because only a few random faces were blurred out.

Several years ago, Jesus Camp circulated around as that film that horrified people, especially the nonreligious, when it came to how religion was pushing views on children. With Kidnapped for Christ, Jesus Camp seems like a welcome change.It's first noteworthy to mention the filmmaker. Kate Logan, a conservative Christian college student in the Dominican Republic for mission work, decided to do a documentary about a school there where American teenagers in crisis were sent. What she found there was teenagers that were woken up in the middle of the night by strangers and removed from the US, sometimes with no one outside their family knowing what happened to them, to be sent off to the Caribbean to have their behaviors corrected. Far from the extremes that one would expect to lead to this, some of them were fairly normal teenagers, all in all, before this happened.The film goes through the processes of the school by following a few of the 'students' there over the course of the several weeks that Logan was at the school. The reason her background is relevant is because as she continues, she starts to find her own faith challenged, as well as her approach to the film challenged, as she is repelled more and more by what's going on in the name of Christianity. And that's what gives this film so much power.... it tries to take a relatively fair stance, but the sheer weight of evidence is heavy enough that it has a clear conclusion, and it even runs counter and challenges her preconceived notions when she was coming into this situation in the first place. (Indeed, this might have never come to light if not for her background.So much of the power comes through what the three students she follows through go through, the way they talk about being treated, the fact that they've been sent to a foreign country without a say, and this is a film that I think very few people could watch and not find this upsetting, frustrating, angering, and disgusting.Logan shines a light on something that I would think most people in America don't even realize goes on, and something that even some of these parents don't realize, to the full extent, what these children are being subjected to.