3096 Days

An Austrian girl disappears one day and is kept hidden for eight years. The film reimagines the event through a restrained, character driven lens, focusing on the effects of the kidnapping on Natascha Kampusch, her family, and the small circle around them. Viewers see the strain of a long absence, the turmoil of a community grappling with unanswered questions, and the careful, troubling dynamics between the captor and those who try to understand what happened. The drama draws on the real life case to explore trauma, memory, and the difficult path toward healing, without sensationalizing the ordeal.

Directed by Sherry Hormann, the film arrived in 2013 as a sober treatment of the Kampusch case, with Antonia Campbell-Hughes as Natascha and Thure Lindhardt as Wolfgang Priklopil. The project draws on Eichinger and Reichard's adaptation.

Critics responded to the film with measured praise, highlighting solid performances and sensitive handling of a harrowing subject. The drama probes trauma and resilience, and it examines guilt, complicity, and the ethical questions that surface when a publicized crime becomes a personal tragedy.

The real life case continues to be widely known in Europe, and the film prompts discussions about media coverage and the portrayal of victims. Antonia Campbell-Hughes's performance drew renewed attention to Natascha Kampusch's story.