3096 Tage (2013) User Reviews

Not an easy film to watch

[adamonIMDb · 7/10 · 5 May 2016]

Based on the true story of Natascha Kampusch, a girl who was kidnapped and abused for over 8 years, this film was never going to make for easy viewing. It tells the story as it is and doesn't dodge any of the emotional and physical abuse suffered by Kampusch.

The relationship between Kampusch and her kidnapper and how it develops over time is one of the most interesting parts of the story and the film did a really good job at portraying this. Antonia Campbell-Hughes deserves a lot of credit for delivering a strong performance as Kampusch - it must have been a huge challenge, especially given her drastic change in appearance for the role.

This is a raw and naturally disturbing film that is not for everybody. I'm glad they made it though and more people are now aware of Natascha's horrific ordeal.

A missed opportunity

[Dorveille · 5/10 · 24 May 2014]

I came to this movie having read Natascha Kampusch's book of the same name, and watched a documentary about the case.

In it's favour the events depicted in the film are pretty accurate to how they were described in the book. Wolfgang Přiklopil's house and the cell he built are close to how they really were.

But is authenticity enough to make this a good movie? Well, not really.

The film feels very flat, there is very little sense of tension or drama, it's just a plodding retelling of the events.

Thure Lindhardt and Antonia Campbell-Hughes are fine in the roles of Přiklopil and Kampusch. However, some of the other actors are less successful, and it seems as though some of their voices have been re- dubbed?

The main problem with the film is its lack of insight. The film barely explored Kampusch's inner thoughts during the experience, the coping strategies that allowed her to endure the ordeal. And what of Přiklopil? We know nothing really about him, what drove him to do what he did? What happened to him to make him the way he was?

The relationship that developed between Kampusch and Přiklopil was complex. She never lost sight that a crime was being committed and that she had to escape, but she also came to sympathise with him, seeing him as a damaged human being.

Some have said this story shouldn't have been filmed. I don't agree - but I do think it needed to be handled in a different way. Kampusch's story is an extraordinary one, and it really deserved a film that could do it justice.

If you want the full story of what happened, read the book instead.

Subject matter taboo and excellent it's been brought to light

[strawberryfields747 · 6/10 · 14 December 2013]

Some of the reviews for this film reveal the "blame the victim" mentality held by society towards victims of sex crimes. The hints of blaming the victims echo the usual excuses, that these victims in some way got what they "deserve" for not apparently fighting back, for "letting it happen", and on and on. These rationalizations are some of the worst blows to the victims and conversely one of the greatest supports of the perpetrators.

It is necessary for films like this to be made so the myths and lies of sex slavery are viewed for what the reality is: torture, plain and simple. In one of her newspaper interviews after the film was made, Ms. Kampusch stated that the reality was far worse than the film depicted, so this glimpse into the world of sex slavery was watered down considerably.

I also was glad that there were hints of mysterious behavior from other characters involved in the story who may or may not have been involved in what the Austrian police later publicly claimed may have been the machinations of a pedophile ring, which may have helped this perpetrator abduct and psychologically torture the victim. Too bad this statement from the Austrian police was not included in the film.

Underwhelming if you have read the book

[Xarabe · 7/10 · 23 March 2015]

I had tracked the progress of this film from its initial stages after the release of the book to the ridiculous speculative casting; Kate Winslet and Scarlett Johansson, two actresses known for being voluptuous playing an emaciated young woman from about preadolescence to young adulthood? Yeah, right! No wonder the film took ages to get going. Unfortunately, it was also delayed because the initial director (Bernd Eichinger) passed away. Hoffman later took over the realms with Eichinger still listed as writer. This type of story was not suitable for maudlin Hollywood Oscar bait treatment and fortunately it didn't go there. It's probably a good thing it was an independent film with obscure indie actors which would help detract the potential glamorization of such a sad sad story.

If you have read the book this film is based on, I would be surprised if you found the film equally insightful. It isn't. The film in spite of its natural limitations of time does not do enough to absorb Natascha's harrowing story. You're pretty much getting a clear-cut version of her ordeal but that's not surprising with most adaptations of real life stories, especially ones that have an important chronology as hers did. This monster robbed her of her youth, and you can't really translate that when you have a grown woman of 30 playing the young teenage version of her.

Having said that, the acting was okay - nothing special. Hughes, to me at age 29-30 does look convincing as a younger person, not sure enough to pass for a young teenager but you will just have to suspend any disbelief. The set and locations I think are relatively well done. There are some scenes that were as I imagined them to be reading the book. The story does stretch the truth more than what Natascha herself was willing to reveal in her book but has implied outside of the book later on. The relationship between kidnapper and captive is very complex - probably not understandable to most people, thankfully. This movie does a predictably mediocre, yet mildly engaging way of portraying this type of relationship.

To be honest, if I just watched the film without actual knowledge of the real-life events that occurred, I would have given it a lower score, but because of my personal interest in Natascha's story, I can't help but say I was interested in the film - to see a visual albeit fictitious representation of what "happened".

Impressive and depressing

[sneeuwwitjediarree · 7/10 · 30 May 2017]

3096 Days is a touching and impressive movie. I think it perfectly portrayed Natascha's situation and the ambiance could not have been displayed any better. The movie's kind of depressing and dark, but that's the way it should be. Some parts do look a bit cheap and I think that a bigger budget would have really improved the movie's overall look.

Excellent acting and photography, emotionally very distant

[daPeda · 7/10 · 28 June 2015]

Having followed media coverage regarding Miss Kampusch since 1998, I knew the story quite well.

The movie focused completely on her -- and only her -- situation during eight and a half years of captivity. Since the movie is based on her autobiographical book "3096 Tage", we learn very little about the kidnapper's motives and his emotional world. Also, her father's sad story is completely omitted. This is probably also the case for the book, which I haven't read.

But still, the movie didn't quite catch me. I felt no emotions whatsoever, neither for her nor for her kidnapper. Cold soberness.

However, Antonia Campbell-Hughes performed excellently throughout the story, as did Thure Lindhardt. Light and photography was also excellent, adding to the matter-of- factness of the movie.

A repetitive and dull film

[estebangonzalez10 · 7 March 2014]

"Obey me! Obey me! Obey me!"

3096 Days is based on the autobiographical book written by Natascha Kampusch, a young Austrian girl who was kidnapped when she was 10 and kept in a cell for over 8 years. The shocking event took place during the late 90's and the title of the film refers to the amount of days Natascha was held captive, so there is no spoiler here. The film was directed by Sherry Hormann (Desert Flower) and the screenplay adapted by Ruth Toma. The premise may sound interesting since this is an extraordinary story, but the truth of the matter is that the film failed to engage me. The film focuses on Natascha and how she struggled to break away from her chains, forgetting about the outside world (there are a few scenes with the mother, but we never get to see her desperation) and the police procedural to try to find her. Because of this the film focused entirely on Natascha's captivity which after a few minutes kind of felt repetitive because there wasn't much they could do with the story. We see the abuse she experiences and clearly her captor is a troubled and sick young man, but there isn't much more that the film has to say about this. Thirty minutes into the film you realize that it doesn't have anything more to offer and the story begins to drag so much you actually feel like you are held captive for years.

The film opens with a scene at a local bar in Austria where a 10 year old girl named Natascha (Amelia Pidgeon) is falling asleep while her father (Roeland Wiesnekker) is having a few drinks. The next morning Natascha's mother (Trine Dyrholm) is trying to wake her up for school, but of course she has trouble doing so due to the late night her father put her through. Her mother realizes that her father has taken her to the bar again, but Natascha defends him and is slapped for doing so. Upset, Natascha walks out of her home and heads to school, but on her way there, she is kidnapped by a young man (Thure Lindhart) who hides her in a white van and takes her to a hidden cell under his home. For the next 8 years this will be Natascha's home. The film focuses on those early days and then it jumps forward in time to her teen years (played here by Antonia Campbell-Hughes) where she is abused. She is convinced that only one of them will survive, but she never loses hope that one day she will break free.

The most positive note about this film is the impressive transformation that Antonia Campbell- Hughes went through to play Natascha. It was shocking to see her so thin and it allowed us to understand the true impact of the abuse she was receiving. It's just too bad she went through this physical transformation in such a bad film. She delivers a strong performance as well as Thure Lindhart, but the rest of the cast is forgotten. It's a shame that such a talented actress like Trine Dyrholm (In a Better World) is so underused. I believe that if the film gave us a better glimpse of the outside world and the struggle Natascha's parents were going through, it would have engaged the audience more. But since everything takes place almost entirely in captivity the film does get repetitive and dull at times. The story is devastating, but the film never made me feel that way really. Stick with the book and stay away from this movie.

Biased as heck

[HermauesMora · 7/10 · 10 April 2021]

Great movie but extremely biased, the actual story of this from her own statements portrayed the man as much more kind and loving to her, intimate even. I know the movie isn't a solid documentary but it is so inaccurate that the movie might as well not even be based on the real event. The real girl still carries his picture with her, she has said she regrets running away and leaving her husband. This girl fell for her captor. None of the nuance was portrayed at all. This is a real life story of forbidden love, between man and child, and between victim and captor. This could have been so much more raw, but instead they went with this boring story with such a biased view.

The human spirit cannot be kept captive

[rohmer-5 · 10/10 · 3 September 2013]

I have watched this movie about 2 months ago and was surprised that no one has submitted a review for it yet. In my personal opinion, I think that we should not focus on the saucy news or inappropriate statements made by the cast of the movie as this will wrongly divert our attention from the movie. All movies, whether artistic or commercial, should be viewed as an independent work. I have not read the book but I am sure it was an extraordinary story and to bring it to screen would be a challenge. I am glad the director did it skilfully, not focusing on the abuse of the victim but on her thoughts and feelings. The perpetrator has tried various means to make her give up the hope on freedom, but the human spirit just cannot be kept captive. As humans, we all long for freedom, this is engraved into the deepest part of our soul and nothing can change that, that is why we write books, poems ,composed symphonies ,build monuments and even free a nation. Some shots of the movie let the audience perceive the world through the victim's eyes, and even her thoughts and dreams, you can clearly see although there is so little that she can see, all these glimpse of the world have gradually built up her inner strength. The drastic weight loss of the actress adds a level of realism for the movie and her nakedness make a lot of audience quiver in fear to imagine how much abuse she has taken.

A little depict on what she had to live

[registers-944-48791 · 7/10 · 20 September 2020]

This movie has 1:50, and still left so much from depicting. I was really interested to see if the movie would depict the rape. She had never talked about it, never confirmed or denied it. Obviously she doesn't wanna deny as it would clear him from that part, but also doesn't wanna confirm as that'd make too many journalists and public talk about the worst part of what she lived. I'm glad they made it to the movie. It's sad the movie didn't spend more time on the pre-kidnap period and what he did after she had fled. And also shown how sad the public blamed her, or depicted when she knew he had suicided and cried for him. I also don't get why some early part of the movie was dubbed, it was very odd. In general, it's a story that needs to be told and was well done on this movie.

Just bad.

[Avynnic · 2/10 · 11 November 2020]

The story is already there, all they had to give us was some good acting and storytelling. Instead we got this badly dubbed, badly acted and badly told movie. Feels like a student graduation movie.qqq

Harrowing and realistic

[phd_travel · 8/10 · 12 May 2014]

This true story that many have heard of in the news is realistically brought to the screen in this well made and shocking movie.

A 10 year old Austrian girl is kidnapped for 8 years and kept imprisoned in a small basement room for much of the time.

The actress Antonia Campbell Hughes looks frighteningly thin. The real person was kept on an almost starvation diet for years. The Danish actor who plays the kidnapper is good too - he doesn't act too obviously crazy.

It's unimaginable that she survived but the thing that makes watching the painful story bearable is to know she escaped.

3096 days

[khalidpsn · 6/10 · 5 March 2019]

Its based on a real story. I feel sad to that girl

Technical review

[wolfpackkylan · 3/10 · 5 January 2019]

Not even five minutes into the film you can tell some of the chosen shots by the editor are simply appalling and some random spin shot which are just un-needed. From an audio point of view this film is unwatchable from the girls first interaction with the parents you can tell through the sound that she is talking down the mic in and ADR Room and that pieces of audio are not even edited with reverb effects to make her sound as if shes actually inside like shes meant to b, this film has a lot of potential but is simply rushed and unfinished. As a student studying media and film i am watching this in my spare time over holidays and can notice these errors and should not have been published like this, the cinematography and the editing and the sound is just awful.

The story is also layed out bad, for example in the first minute or two when the girl says to that woman she has been kidnapped, shes had her whole life to tell someone that and this time she says it, she says it loud enough so she can be heard by the kidnapper. I am watching this film laughing and face palming because of how cheap the budget is and how unrefined it is. However i have given this a 3 stars as the only positive part of it is the genuine idea of the film and their way of trying to capture a mood to an audience, this is slightly achieved through the story but in technical points it lacks heavily. The story is from a book so it was difficult to really 'mess up the story' however to an extent they did but they did manage to keep the genuine idea and feel of it.

A beautiful villian, obvious chemistry - no, no, no...

[zornicajohanova · 6/10 · 29 December 2019]

So yes, this are my two big problems - Thure is too handsome for this part and the chemistry between him and Antonia is too real and too inappropriate. Having this contrary to the main idea facts, I found it extremely hard to concentrate on the storyline, cinematography and acting. You probanly think that I romanticize the Stockholm syndrome or something like that. One huge NO. When I watch a movie, I watch each detail in it. That's all. As far as I tried, I found out that the acting was mostly okey, but I can't say the same thing about the story. It is understandable that the scenes will be hard to watch and so on but c'mmon - you can't narrate eight years in random situatations just like that. This is a movie and as a such, it should tell a story. In spite of and because of the subject. I have read a comment that it seemed as if she doesn't really want to escape. I agree, though I don't see where the problem is. Yes, Antonia had some weak moments, but I don't think this was one of it. Still a mystery to me, probably the directing was poor or the script was misunderstood by the book, I don't know. I also agree that more finnances would have made the movie better. The truth is, I felt a little anger and huge amount of compassion. But...as a whole, the movie didn't really touch me.

Spoilers

[mohammedminato · 7/10 · 30 May 2020]

The film shows great details during the time of kidnapping but fewer details after she was released..

"Dumber than a dog"

[ger55champ · 6/10 · 19 March 2024]

"Dumber than a dog " Sadly very true.

How a girl having being subjected to years of rape and abuse couldn't take at least one of the opportunities to escape her violent experience.

Is just too baffling and heartbreaking to believe.

She must have been extremely weak no matter the circumstances.

The film is decent enough in telling the story but the acting is wooden.

If it hadn't been a true story, the film itself wouldn't have held our attention.

No one deserves this kind of punishment in their lives. Absolutely no one.

So I hope Natasha has a long and happy life in what ever she is doing nowadays.

True to reality, great acting

[merel-van-dongen · 9/10 · 16 August 2018]

The fact that this movie is based on a true story, makes it definitely worth watching. I admire the actrice who playes Natascha Kampusch, she really does an amazing job. Also, she got extremely skinny to play this role, which makes it even more credible. The small room where she was held in the film, looks exactly like the real one (yes, I did some research after I watched this). In the mood to feel miserable? You won't regret this one!

Potentially the best drama - Ruined by amateur edition

[facorread · 5/10 · 2 January 2015]

I came to this film without any assumptions, nothing more than the hope to be told (more like summarized) the incredible story of what this lady had to go through.

Characters were well developed by the the writing staff as well as the actors. The actors with English as a second language had some trouble with their characterizations, they looked a bit stiff/expositive at some times.

The real problem with this film was the editing. Lack of expertise was palpable in the way this film was cut. It lacked both cohesion and continuity. It looked like a photo reel at times. The notable exceptions were: the fantastic transition marking 4 years of captivity, and the transition to freedom. They were really well done, very professional. Then how come the rest of the editing is so amateurish?

The first minutes of film were rushed: Lady calls for help. Cut to little girl with her father in a bar. Cut to sleeping girl. Cut to angry mom, cut to walk to school, ... All in a few moments. It absolutely looked as a collection of takes of different girls in different situations.

There are several continuity errors distracting the viewer. The producers, director, and editors should have reviewed the edition with more detail. There were also some pointless decisions in the editing room, such as the first slow-motion scene, which had no purpose in being slow, and the focus on some window while dancing. No context, no purpose.

Although the writing was good, there are situations and lines of dialogue going sideways and getting lost. Vegetarianism, media bias, a drunk father, a joke, an establishing shot of a house with dimming lights which absolutely confuses and/or enrages.

The victim writing a secret list of received abuses, while calling them out, presumably for the viewer to hear, but at the same knowing that her captor is probably listening, is something which should have been written with more thought.

Original music for this film was rather scarce. I think it was well composed but original music should also have been put in important scenes of the film. These scenes were hurt because of that silence.

The rest of reviews for this film address other problems I agree with.

I think a director's cut is in order. After addressing these problems the film would be awesome. Also, this film's staff is in debt to this lady and her family; they should have been more careful with the editing and music, out of respect and sensibility, just as they were careful at writing, acting, producing. By the way, the sets were terrific, claustrophobic, overwhelming.

About a girl who feared the most to take chances but overcame and did it

[Reno-Rangan · 8/10 · 14 September 2013]

The movie based on the true story of Austrian woman Natascha Kampusch. At the age of ten she was abducted by an unemployed young man called Wolfgang Priklopil and kept her in a secret cellar for the 8 long years. Warning, this movie is not suitable for everyone because the movie had many disturbing, nude scenes. It was harsh true but raw for a movie and I am happy they made this.

It's easy to find the errors on the technical aspect and the flaws of the movie but when you think of it from the girl's perspective it is totally shocking and long incident that everyone never dreamt about. So there's no point in pointing the mistakes because you are not watching it for an entertaining but to know the bitter truth, right? Natascha Kampusch was a normal young Austrian girl, she did not try any heroic endeavoring during her captivity but her bravery attempt at the end of the movie made her free from the slavery. As you see the title you will come to know almost everything about the movie even the end twist as well not complicated as one you think but when you watch the movie it tells the way it really happened.

As a kidnapper, Wolfgang Priklopil was a smarter and sharper enough. He read the girl's character and behaviour perfectly, he tried to give her freedom within the border he marked and also tortured her to make believe she's in his command. But his overconfident led him to the disaster from his perspective. In the end, good always wins over evil.

Antonia Campbell-Hughes was excellent as Natascha Kampusch and so the little version of her. I heard that she lost lots of weight for the role, I guess it's her best performance till now from those I have seen.

Remember you won't watch it for enjoy the moment, it was those movies like 'Trade' and 'Garden of the Night' that will remind you about the real pervert co-existed in our society. As per me it is a must see movie but you should keep it in your mind like I said it was a little disturbing for its adult contents.

8/10

Empty

[samuelquentin · 1/10 · 8 September 2013]

This story about the abduction of 10-year-old Austrian girl Natascha Kampusch and her 3096 days in the hands of her kidnapper Wolfgang Priklopil is done without any skill that reaches more than a below-average German TV movie (and that is BAD, for those who are not familiar with such exploits). Not only that it is slow in pace and filmed in a completely bland style without and sense for atmosphere (speaking of "direction" or cinematography - which is, believe it or not - done by world famous cinematographer Michael Ballhaus! - or editing) - it doesn't deliver anything that is even slightly compelling. All attempts at creating a menacing or desperate feel regarding the girl's imprisonment are falling flat and running empty - and these are the only adjectives that come to mind when watching this really unnecessary and awful film.

Don't mistake this as a documentary

[lazlaw · 8/10 · 31 July 2018]

This film is based on real events with very little poetic license, I watched the documentary beforehand called Natascha Kampusch The Whole Story and the film hardly strays from her experiences including where she was held captive, remember you cannot put everything into 1hr 50mins . Overall i found it most compelling and thought provoking on different sides of human nature.

Watching

[kosmasp · 4/10 · 25 December 2013]

You wonder sometimes if everything has to be made into a movie. And how you'd be showing this. This is based on a real case and it doesn't make the viewing any better because of it. Which might be considered a good thing for some or a real bad thing for others. The actors are doing their best to get the best out of the situation.

If you know what happened (the title being a clue here, especially because you get time reminders every other scene), the question is, do you want to watch this? Is this something that is inspirational or just plain awful? I really couldn't see the point in it all, a book or a really good article would be more than enough.

A Very Real Film

[serdar-134-54891 · 8/10 · 4 September 2018]

Repetitive? Yes, definately! Because being kidnapped for 3096 days is something repetitive. If you expect Hollywood dramatizations, no, this is not that film. This film looks very simple at the surface, but deep inside holds very good character development and feelings. Acting is superior, the small actress as Natasha surprises with her performance. Older Natasha is also acted very well. But the real star is the director, creating a simple bir very impressive movie.

How the hll could someone manage to make a movie as bad as this?

[kshihab-64848 · 1/10 · 6 May 2021]

Bad acting, low budget and like no excitement in the whole fking movie. I have seen paint drying even more exciting than this. The only positive thing about this movie is, it was based on a true event, the movie itself is nothing but a huge depression.