Written by Adam Mast
FREETOWN (PG-13)
“Freetown” is the latest effort from Garrett Batty, the director of 2013’s independent LDS-themed hit, “The Saratov Approach.” As was the case with that emotionally charged thriller, “Freetown” is inspired by a true story and deals with faith and hope during trying times. The question is, does “Freetown” offer up that same sense of danger?
In “Freetown,” six Liberian missionaries attempt to flee their war-torn homeland. With the assistance of a local church leader (played by Henry Adofo), these faithful men make the long arduous trek to Freetown, Sierra Leone, in an effort to find peace and safety. Hot on their trail is a rebel leader (played by menacing Bill Myers) hell bent on capturing one of their own.
One of the most intriguing aspects of “Freetown” is that while it does feature LDS missionaries at its center, it is a movie about faith in general, and as was the case with “The Saratov Approach,” Batty uses a tension-filled backdrop to tell a story of humanity and faith in the most dire of circumstances.
The cast, led by Adofo and Phillip Adukunle Michael, is appealing. While “Freetown” features a plot that isn’t exactly all sunshine and rainbows, it does find moments of humor, and it’s a testament to the cast’s naturalistic abilities that “Freetown” offers warmth even though the subject matter tends to be somewhat dark. Batty and crew deserve extra props for finding the resources and drive to shoot this movie in less then three weeks on what I’m told was a very limited budget. A few shaky drone shots aside, they managed to pull it off.
If I have any issue at all with “Freetown,” it’s that the film as a whole doesn’t feel quite as intense and perilous as the actual story that inspired it. Listening to the real life Marcus Menti (portrayed in the movie by Michael Attram) speak to the audience following the screening I attended proved to be a very moving experience, and it prompted me to look a little deeper into the actual story on which this film was based. I discovered that what these missionaries endured was considerably more intense than the film would have you believe. But then, making a movie based on a true story is always a tight rope act, and in the case of “Freetown,” Batty and crew opted to tone things down a bit in an effort to reach a larger audience.
Clearly the story behind these missionaries and their ordeal is an inspirational one, but again, I wish the sense of danger would have been as front and center as it was in “The Saratov Approach.” Having said that,”Freetown” is certainly worth seeing. Not only is it an insightful culture lesson, but it also offers up a heartfelt message of faith, regardless of your personal beliefs.
