‘Sound of Freedom’ movie review

‘Sound of Freedom’ is not a political film.  This is a story about good versus evil.  The subject matter has one goal in mind and that is to eradicate child sex trafficking.  It’s a difficult topic to cover.  It’s every parent’s worst nightmare that their child is abducted and harmed.  Yet the film’s modest production handles it without showing graphic details of the abuse.  The kids are dealt with in a respectful and sensitive manner.  The remarkable aspect of this small independent film when it opened in theaters on July 4^th is that it performed better at the box office than Indiana Jones. 

Based on true events, ‘Sound of Freedom’ is the story of Tim Ballard (Jim Caviezel), a former Homeland Security special agent.  He is proud of the fact that he has arrested hundreds of criminals who prey on children.  Unfortunately, he has never rescued the victims.  This eats away at him since he is a family man with children.  The story shows how kids are lured into human trafficking.  A woman pretends to be a talent scout preparing the kids for careers in show business.  When a single father drops off his 11-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son, he returns hours later, and his children have vanished. 

When Ballard finds out about this, something punches him in the gut.  He’s not satisfied just going after the criminals, he wants to rescue the kids.  That’s when the story goes into suspense mode.  To go any further in his operation would give too much away.  For a small production, the performances are first-rate, the script is smart and the pacing is fast.   One of the standout performances comes from Bill Camp who helps Ballard connect with the underworld.  I cannot say enough about Jim Caviezal’s turn as the hero in this engrossing thriller.  He is extremely believable as a special agent who goes rogue to save the children from these despicable criminals.

Caviezel played Jesus in the 2004 film, ‘The Passion of the Christ.’  He plays the strong, silent type of hero in ‘Sound of Freedom.’  In real life, he is a man of faith.  This film does have a faith-based edge to it but it is not preached down your throat.  At the end of the film, he gives a message to the audience.  It is a passionate request to get as many people as possible to see the movie.  He asks people to buy tickets for others to see the movie with a QR code.  It’s an interesting way to spread the message of this film and to fund tickets to other people that cannot afford to go to the theater.

This is a grim movie to watch.  You cannot help but have empathy for the children.  Although it is tough subject matter, it needs to be seen for the global problem to get fully exposed.  This is essentially a crime thriller.  Caviezel delivers an intense performance from the heart.  Despite it being a low-budget film, it is well done from the acting to the production design.  It is well paced, and I never had the urge to look at my watch.  It is nice to see a film that depicts true good versus evil.  Law enforcement are the unsung heroes in modern times.  They must fight bureaucratic red tape.  Their intent is clear, to eliminate the bad guys and protect innocent lives.  I cannot think of a better way to spend the afternoon at the cinema.  ‘Sound of Freedom’ is an important film that should not be missed.