Cleveland Abduction chronicles the harrowing true story of Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus, three women kidnapped in the early 2000s – and this is where you can watch the movie.
True crime documentaries have become one of the most popular pastimes on streaming services. Just last week, Netflix’s Sweet Bobby hit the platform’s chart.
However, frightening real-life events are often adapted into nail-biting thrillers; Zodiac, Summer of Sam, and most recently, Netflix’s Woman of the Hour, which explored the shocking story of Rodney Alcala’s Dating Game appearance.
Cleveland Abduction is one such film, and it features a major star from Orange is the New Black. Here’s exactly where you can watch it.
Where to stream Cleveland Abduction
Cleveland Abduction is only available on-demand right now. That means you’ll need to buy or rent it digitally via Amazon Prime or other VOD platforms instead of being able to watch it via a subscription service.
There’s also the option to buy it physically, although there’s no Blu-ray release, so you’ll need to plump for the DVD.
Interestingly, it’s definitely been available on Netflix before, as it’s listed as a past title in its library. However, it’s unclear when (or if) it’ll return, so if you’re desperate to watch it, prepare to cough up a few bucks.
Cleveland Abduction cast
Ariel Castro is played by Raymond Cruz, best known for playing Tuco Salamanca in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.
Taryn Manning (Orange is the New Black, Sons of Anarchy) plays Michelle Knight, Katie Sarife (Supernatural, Annabelle Comes Home) plays Gina DeJesus, and Samantha Droke (Poor Paul, Princess Protection Program) portrays Amanda Berry. The cast also includes Pam Grier (Jackie Brown, Coffy) and Joe Morton (Terminator 2, Zack Snyder’s Justice League).
Cleveland Abduction true story explained
Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus were kidnapped by Ariel Castro between 2002 and 2004, and they were held captive in his home until 2013.
All three women were abducted by Castro after he offered them a ride, but instead of taking them where they wanted to go, he drove them to his house, lured them into his basement, and restrained them.
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According to their diaries, they endured “forced sexual conduct, being locked in a dark room, anticipating the next session of abuse, dreams of someday escaping and being reunited with family, being chained to a wall, being held like a prisoner of war, missing the lives they once enjoyed, emotional abuse, Castro’s threats to kill them, being treated like an animal, continuous abuse, and desiring freedom.”
While Knight told police she’d been impregnated at least five times (Castro induced miscarriages by beating and starving her), Berry gave birth to a girl, whom she taught to read and write in captivity.
How did the women escape?
On May 6, 2013, Berry screamed for help and managed to catch the attention of Castro’s neighbors. According to her memoir, she kicked a hole through the bottom of a door and crawled out with her daughter.
After the police arrived to free Knight and DeJesus, Castro was arrested in a McDonald’s parking lot. He pled guilty to 937 counts of rape, kidnapping, and aggravated murder and was handed consecutive life sentences, plus 1,000 years in prison, without the possibility of parole.
Where are they now?
Ariel Casto died in prison on September 3, 2013, after taking his own life.
Knight (who now goes by the name Lily Rose Lee), has released two memoirs since the kidnapping: Finding Me and Life After Dreaming. She married Miguel Rodriguez in 2016, and she launched her own foundation: Lily’s Ray of Hope, dedicated to helping victims of violence and trafficking.
Berry also partnered with Knight on Hope: A Memoir of Survival in Cleveland, but she’s become a regular contributor to Cleveland’s Fox 8 and the channel’s ‘Missing’ segment. Her daughter Jocelyn celebrated her 16th birthday in 2023, the same age as Berry when she was kidnapped.
DeJesus has been enjoying a quiet life since her escape, but she’s been busy: she assists the Northeast Ohio Amber Alert Committee and, in 2018, she launched the Cleveland Family Center for Missing Children and Adults.
Check out our list of the best serial killer documentaries, the creepiest YouTube documentaries, and the best horror movies ever made.
