Movie Review: “Sound of Freedom” is disturbing, sobering, elegant, profound, and hopeful in equal measure

MOVIE REVIEW: SOUND OF FREEDOM (PG-13)

Amidst a sea of sequels, comic book adaptations, and high-profile tent pole releases, it’s the hard-hitting smaller-scale drama, “Sound of Freedom,” that emerges as one of the most important films of the summer.  It may not have the budget of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” and it may not boast the all-star cast of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming “Oppenheimer” but no matter. This sobering, earnest, and often eye-opening look at a very real-life problem is likely to leave you disturbed, angered, shaken, inspired, and moved in equal measure.

Props to Angel Studios for their aggressive and unique marketing campaign which includes, among other things, a pay-it-forward program that encourages audience members to purchase tickets and pass them along to others in an effort to generate more interest in this movie. But this isn’t simply a money-making gimmick to elevate the film to blockbuster status (although that certainly would be nice given the importance of the subject matter.) This is to say that everyone involved in the making and selling of this movie appears to have their hearts firmly in the right place. It should also be noted that, despite what some folks might be thinking,  this movie transcends the faith-based and more patriotic filmgoer demographic. 

Based on true events, “Sound of Freedom” chronicles the efforts of former Homeland Security agent Tim Ballard (played convincingly by Jim Caviezel) as he engages in an incredibly dangerous mission in a valiant effort to save countless children from sex traffickers. 

“Sound of Freedom” is a gut-wrenching deep dive into the world of human trafficking but despite the uncomfortable subject matter, it never takes the exploitive route and somehow, some way, it manages to be both hopeful and optimistic thanks mostly to elegant but unflinching direction by Alejandro Monteverde (“Little Boy.”) Monteverde isn’t exactly a household name but it’s safe to say we’ll be seeing more of him after this movie is released.  By way of a very delicate hand, he expertly manages to paint a tough but accessible portrait of a nightmarish operation without sensationalizing the proceedings. In fact, dare I say that throughout much of this film, there’s a tone and confidence in Monteverde’s approach that sometimes reminded me of Steven Spielberg. 

The cast is led by an effective Caviezel (“The Passion of the Christ”) whose visibly worn down Ballard ultimately comes across as a real-life superhero. Throughout the movie, we can see the toll that these awful stories and incidents have taken on this man but rather than fleeing the job, he sticks with it, first in his crusade to bring several perpetrators to justice but then, by setting out to save the lives of as many children as possible by way of any means necessary. This includes going undercover and gaining the trust of some of the most unsavory (and despicable) human beings you’re ever likely to meet.  Equally effective is Bill Camp as Vampiro, a complicated man with a dark past who, after an unthinkable incident of his own, is inspired to help make the world a better place. On a final note, big-time props to the pair of young actors at the heart of this movie. They break the heart as two kids who endure the unthinkable. 

There are moments in “Sound of Freedom”  that feel a bit rushed in nature (including Ballard’s unnerving befriending of a pedophile), and given that Katherine Ballard (Tim’s supportive wife) was so instrumental in keeping him going through the darkest of times, it was a bit of a bummer to see a solid Mira Sorvino rather sidelined in what should be a more pivotal role. It should also be noted that there are certainly portions of the movie that feel a little overdramatized (particularly in an intense final act that has elements of both “Saving Private Ryan” and “Rambo”) but by and large, these elements don’t hamper the overall effectiveness of an otherwise profoundly powerful film about a real-world problem that doesn’t appear to generate nearly enough talk in day-to-day conversations. Here’s hoping this outstanding movie pushes this topic to the top of the headlines. 

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