"Chowchilla (2023)" rolls onto the screen with all the subtlety of a school bus crashing a masked ball, offering an unnervingly close look at the weirdest mass kidnapping in California's history. Director Paul Solet aims to drive us through the twists and turns of the 1976 Chowchilla kidnapping, promising an exclusive ride filled with never-before-seen interviews and revelations. While the documentary aims for a deep dive, it occasionally feels more like a shallow paddle in the kiddie pool, especially when it loses focus, wandering off the road to meander through less compelling detours of speculation and dramatic reenactments that could have used a bit more rehearsal time.
The film's strengths lie in its raw, powerful interviews with survivors, whose accounts pack the emotional punch of a thriller novel you can't put down, even if you've read it before. These moments, stark and unflinching, are when "Chowchilla" truly shines, providing a vivid window into the terror and triumph of the human spirit. Yet, every so often, this intensity is undercut by a soundtrack that can't decide if it's scoring a documentary or auditioning for a suspense thriller, leaving viewers in an odd limbo between empathy and eye-rolling.
Clocking in at a runtime that feels slightly indulgent, "Chowchilla" is like that school project that did all the research but lost some points for presentation. It's a 3.5-star cinematic journey that, despite its occasional off-road excursions, manages to bring home the harrowing story of survival and resilience. If you're in for a ride that's part historical recount, part suspenseful escape tale, and part 'why is this music so dramatic?', buckle up. "Chowchilla" may not take you exactly where you expected, but the destination is still worth the trip - just maybe pack some snacks for the longer detours.
7/10.
