Who Took Johnny (2014) User Reviews

Compelling story but no resolution

[zxdex88 · 7/10 · 16 August 2021]

I've watched this movie and I do not believe that the boy tied up in the photos is Johnny. Also I feel that there almost certainly has to be a connection with the two missing paperboys from the same area. The pattern of similarities in the cases is too compelling. Any FBI profiler would tell you that. Clearly (in my opinion) as with many small towns and small cities the local law enforcement was incompetent and not very interested in solving Johnny's case. One last thing: I am highly suspicious of Johnny's Mother. I do not believe her when she says she met her son at her front door in the 1990s when he was 27. Her story does not ring true. In any case I don't believe this case will ever be solved. Of course the same was said of the Etan Patz case but eventually, decades later, it was solved.

The police, to serve and protect, that was the oath you took... So who took Johnny?

[deloudelouvain · 7/10 · 30 December 2021]

As a documentary Who Took Johnny is probably not the best made documentary but the story itself is just very interesting to watch. But not only interesting, also disturbing and mostly disgusting. Disturbing to know there are still pedophiles (I can't call them people) thinking what they're doing is normal behavior. And disgusting to know there are men of the law (if you can call them like that) that refuse to investigate the obvious. I've never had a high opinion of police (don't forget, to serve and protect is what you signed for, so at least do an attempt to do that) and this documentary won't help their case. I have respect for the mother, Noreen Gosch, who shows what it is to never give up. If it was my case I would probably already be dead or in jail. Just because you can't prove aything with this documentary, it's still obvious there is an "elite" that thinks they are above the law and can get away with the most disgusting behavior possible, think about Epstein (yeah, really nobody believes he hanged himself in prison) and his "best" friends (some made it even to president of the USA). America is sick, and there's nobody willing to cure it, because there's a cure and that's a guillotine in the town square. Who took Johnny is a sad story, with some truths, probably some lies too, but you can't just comprehend in what kind of sick society we're living.

Watch this film

[clarktroy-84879 · 9 May 2016]

This is a powerful piece of work from the RUMUR team of Michael Galinsky and Suki Hawley. Anyone with and even probably without kids can identify with the abject terror of having your child disappear without a trace, so it is utterly wrenching to watch people to whom this has actually happened try to figure out how to come to terms with the most profound loss we can imagine. To compound the horror of it all, the film documents with a pretty high degree of confidence what most likely happened to Johnny Gosch: that he was swept up into human trafficking, which more or less means child prostitution and pornography. It ain't pretty, but that's why it is almost necessary viewing. As Gogol so famously said, we can't blame the mirror if our mug is crooked, and "Who Took Johnny" is a mirror that, sad to say, is much less distortive than we would all like for it to be. Watch it.

Controversial Documentary

[Marcus-598-753425 · 9/10 · 6 May 2016]

This is a very good documentary that unfortunately only scratches the surface of what would become known as the Franklin cover-up. This documentary should be mandatory viewing for everyone. Unfortunately the facts of child kidnapping from Boy's Town by Lawrence E King Jr. are missing from this documentary which would lend more credibility to the claims of Paul Bonacci. Paul Bonacci also help expose the child sex-ring in Washington D.C. which was outlined in the Washington Post and corroborated by actual receipts. Those facts were missing from the documentary and lend credibility his testimony.

Unfortunately Rumor did not release this to Netflix where it would get mass exposure and opted to go the rental route which is a horrible mistake and hurts the cause terribly. Unfortunately human trafficking(slavery) still very much exists and due to the mass media black out of films like this and Conspiracy of Silence the problem will only get worse.

Who Took Johnny?

[parkersonhayley · 10/10 · 18 October 2016]

Who Took Johnny

Who Took Johnny is an intriguing film that documents the events that followed the disappearance of Johnny Gosch on September 5, 1982 from West De Moines, Iowa. This documentary highlights his mother, Noreen Gosch, and her independent search for her son. The film documents a more current child abduction in Waterloo, Iowa as well as Johnny's case in order to show the advancement of the police force.

There are many indirect interviews in this film that give many different personal perspectives from family members, detectives, childhood friends, and abductors of Johnny. Each interview features intimate stories and experiences that give the audience all sides of the story. By exploiting every detail of every perspective, this film does a phenomenal job at letting the viewer form their own opinion about the mysteries of the case. As the audience continues to learn more about the conspiracy, they are continually discovering information that is essential for forming their own case for Johnny Gosch's abduction.

Considering this is a documentary, there are quite a few boring segments. It occasionally highlights significant and insignificant moments in Noreen's life, which is not necessarily relevant to the case. However, I do believe that they show her everyday life to make the point that tragedy can happen to anyone. Although her everyday tasks are boring, they were not a waste of time to watch. However, I did enjoy this film for its ability to keep the audience on edge and proper timing of releasing details. This film keeps viewers in suspense and keeps them wondering about the clues to come. The disappearance of Johnny Gosch is a mystery that most people will never understand, but Who Took Johnny gives curious minds an insight to the real cause for his abduction. This film has lit a spark in me to research further into this case, and I highly recommend this documentary because of that.

Its seems to outlandish to be true

[g_cupec · 10/10 · 3 May 2016]

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.

Amazing must-see

[lalynnallen · 10/10 · 18 May 2016]

I lived in DesMoines at the time Johnny Gosch and Eugene Martin were abducted. I worked in close association with the local media at the time. When viewed today, it seems impossible for anyone to understand how dismissive the authorities and the public could be in regard to child exploitation. This film is a very true portrayal of the injustice that was done to Johnny and all missing children and how Maureen was vilified for speaking out about it on behalf of her son. This is an amazing story of how John Walsh and Noreen Gosch were strong enough and dedicated enough to turn a horrific personal tragedy into a crusade to protect all children so we as humans will finally put a stop to child sexual abuse and human trafficking.

Lacks Facts and Real Investigating

[Tri-State_Skater · 4/10 · 28 August 2021]

The film lacks real journalism. At the time the Faded Out podcast was out yet, and I don't think Yellow Bags comments were on Iowa Cold Cases yet. However there were still articles about the pedophile ring that was busted out of Des Moines. There were articles on Frank Sykora, Wilbur Millhouse, and that guy at the mall. The policeman in charge ended up in some scandals too. It wasn't sexual, but still, it shows the police department was corrupt. The filmmakers simply followed Noreen's mess of conspiracy theories. This film lacks any really investigating. All it did was keep Johnny's name out there, and in a way it gave light to Eugene and Marc, but most people only talk about Johnny. I can see why the film was taken off Netflix. Faded Out, the comments on Iowa Cold Cases, articles from the time, and even reddit threads have done more for this case than this film ever has.

Scary, Informative, and Worth a Watch

[SLUGMagazineFilms · 26 January 2014]

Who Took Johnny? is a spooky time. This documentary reaches back to 1982, when Johnny Gosch, a West Des Moines, Iowa paper boy, was abducted. Noreen, his mother, has powered on with the search since then up until now. The film initially follows the inaction on part of the local law enforcement to effectively identify Johnny as a missing person (the law used to require 72 hours for the kid to be gone), and initially wrote his disappearance off as him running away. After a couple years of the community turning up nothing, the imprisoned Paul Bonacci turned up to say that he had helped kidnap Johnny into the horrendous world of child sex trafficking. Because he was diagnosed with Multiple Personality Disorder, however, law enforcement eschewed this lead and never questioned him, despite the facts he knew about Johnny's body that convinced his parents that this was indeed what happened to their son. The Devil's in the details with this one, as the world of child sex trafficking becomes exposed and entangled in the different facets of the investigation, centered in Omaha, Neb., 10 hours away. Who Took Johnny? has an Unsolved Mysteries vibe to it (creepy, I know), scary as much as it is informative about the issue of missing children. It's definitely worth a watch if you can see it.

A must Watch

[juliahairchick · 10/10 · 26 February 2022]

This documentary took 10 years to confirm all the facts stated.

The twists and turns that could not be fully substantiated are in a radio interview with the mom. If your interested in the rest of the story check that out after watching this on you tube.

This mom needs to be commended for standing up to literally everyone in her search for her son.

How I feel

[nico-22677 · 9/10 · 15 September 2016]

I felt awful for this kid Johnny , even the other kid who took him ( Paul) ..I also believed him about this secret network, it exists.. What i don't believe is the mother that Johnny visited her :( I just have this zing in my body that she is lying..

I cannot even imagine what they went through and yes I truly believe Johnny can be brainwashed and just wont contact his family, it does happen.. I don't know why I don't believe Noreen, I just don't.. I hope Johnny is living and has some kind of peace.. What a horrible event ..: ( I know Noreen has been to hell and back and she is a hero for all she does, but I just feel like it didn't happen, Johnny's visit. As a mother I would be never letting him go, IDK, maybe it did happen, I just don't believe it..

Scarier than horror

[darthbeto-419-490693 · 9/10 · 21 February 2021]

A well-structured documentary on a horrific case. A must watch for parents.

One of the most interesting true crime stories

[Analog_Devotee · 9/10 · 4 January 2021]

This documentary is a must-watch for any true crime fan. It's eye-opening, infuriating, confusing... but most of all, it's sad, because here we are in 2021 and we still don't know who took Johnny Gosch -- a boy who was last seen on his regular morning paper route and then never seen again. I hope someday we will find out the truth. In the meantime, though, this is an extremely informative documentary about not only this particular case but child disappearances in the United States in general.

Who Took Johnny: How to make something out of nothing

[Platypuschow · 5/10 · 25 July 2017]

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.

'Who Took Johnny?' is a Must See film of the year for the world!

[adejesus614 · 30 January 2014]

'Who Took Johnny?' Reveals how cases of missing children were handle 30 years ago. This film shades all its light on the disappearance of Johnny Gosch from Des Monies, Iowa. A 12 year-old paperboy, who disappears without a trace, yet was written off as a runaway. The case of Johnny Gosch is shrouded by the darkest side of humanity as it leads to a hidden world where children are targeted A world dragged into the light by the strength, love, and sacrifice of a mother who never stopped fighting for answers. It should be required for the world to watch. I watch it. My heart is still trembling over how this case was handled.

SEE IT

[rambleonshon · 10/10 · 14 May 2023]

While I was not impressed with some of the light in which Mrs. Gosch was portrayed, this is an important deep dive into the world of child abduction, trafficking, abuse and murder. It's very difficult to watch. But it's important that we see how and why our own Government colludes with these creatures, offering them support and using their sins against them for power and control.

There is another chapter to this saga which is the Omaha / Franklin coverup so see that documentary as well (the one banned by Discovery) and then you might want to take a look at some of the "culinary" activities going around in Washington, particularly as they regard pizza and ping pongs.

God bless this woman, her husband and son.

Total whitewash

[winkelr-71420 · 2/10 · 2 September 2016]

A very superficial treatment of the ongoing horror which is systemic, international, high level kidnapping, pedophilia and blackmail used as a tool of political control. This is what happens to congressional freshmen after they move to Washington.

If you want to know what this case is really about, see the book "The Franklin Cover-up" by John DeCamp, a Nebraska state senator who was on the Nebraska senate investigative committee, and the documentary "Conspiracy of Silence" produced by Discovery Channel and Yorkshire TV. Also search for

Franklin Cover-up: The White House Call Boy Ring thought crime radio