Where do I even start with this film?
Talking about human trafficking, especially child sex trafficking, is always hard. Add a dramatic retelling with the goal of creating a compelling story out of it, and it feels impossible. And yet, “Sound of Freedom” manages that and more.
The film tells the story of Tim Ballard, former Homeland Security agent and founder of Operation Underground Railroad. While he’s the main character, the film isn’t about him. It’s about the kids.
The film’s opening sequence is as chilling as it is powerful. In it, sex trafficker Gisselle convinces a single father to bring his two children to “auditions” for an entertainment company. He drops his children off at a hotel room where other children are also waiting. Giselle tells him to return later to pick them up, but when he returns, all the children and Gisselle are gone, leaving only a dark, empty room.
The film then introduces Special Agent Tim Ballard, who is in the middle of an investigation into child sex crimes. In the course of this investigation, Ballard and his team apprehend a trafficker and rescue the young boy from the opening sequence. This rescue launches the rest of the story into action-thriller territory as Ballard works to save the boy’s sister and dozens of other children in the process.
Jim Caviezel delivers an emotional, yet understated performance as Tim Ballard. The feelings he shows on screen are all the more compelling for their subtlety. Because of this subtlety, the film’s resolution feels earned rather than inevitable.
All that said, this is not a movie for the faint of heart. It is a movie about worldwide child sex trafficking. It never once shies away from its subject matter. And while it isn’t graphic, the audience is under no illusions about what is going on behind the curtain.
None of this is meant to dismay the audience. Rather, it is used as a rallying cry to encourage people to raise the alarm. There are more slaves than ever in the history of the world, millions of them children, and we can fight back. Organizations like Operation Underground Railroad lead the charge, but they need support. Support they can’t get if people remain blind, something this film aims to rectify.
With a budget of $14.5 million, this film managed to tell a more poignant story than films with ten times its budget. It earned $10 million in presales alone and has an 85% critic and 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.6/10 on IMDb as of now.
“Sound of Freedom” has a genuine core of righteousness that most call-to-action films do not. This is a dramatic film, but it takes pains to show that real children need help now. And it does all this while giving us more of a heartfelt story than Hollywood has in years.
Watch the trailer for “Sound of Freedom” here:
Sound of Freedom | Let Freedom Ring | Official Final Trailer
“A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE MASTERPIECE THAT EVERYONE MUST SEE!” Get your tickets at angel.com/freedom Sound of …
“Sound of Freedom” Release Date: July 4, 2023. Reviewed July 5, 2023. Runtime: 135 min.
This content was originally published here.
