A roar of applause broke out in the theater as the closing scene dimmed — a physical reaction to the stark reality painted in the newest faith-based release, “Sound of Freedom.”
This movie exposes the truth about child sex trafficking that is happening all around us, hidden to the public eye. The film tells the account of a man named Tim Ballard, who served on a personal undercover mission in Columbia to rescue a stolen brother and sister. Ballard worked comfortably in the Department of Homeland Security when he felt the Lord calling him to step out in boldness — to protect child slaves in other countries.
The opening clips of the film were difficult to watch: a series of real-life scenes captured by surveillance footage of children being stolen. The weight of this introduction stuck with viewers as the movie carried on — subtlety emphasizing that this film is no fairytale, but a horrifying reality that is taking place around us every single day.
A compelling story unfolds as Ballard faced many hardships in his journey to reconcile one particular family. He went on an undercover mission, posing as a pedophile to gain credibility and network within the underworld of pedophilia, only to expose and arrest the perpetrators thereafter. He also journeyed to a native tribe posing as a doctor to rescue a young girl named Rocio. There are many high-action scenes, depicting the cruelty of sex-traffickers everywhere.
Through his various pursuits, the audience can recognize how in different countries, in different ways, sick people have the capacity to carry out heinous crimes against vulnerable children.
The movie has climbed the charts, surpassing other new releases exponentially at the box office. Produced by Angel Studios and operating under a “pay it forward” system to encourage others to see the show, “Sound of Freedom” has reached an all-time success for Christian movies. It ranked as the top movie in the country on July 4.
Despite the undeniable success of the movie, there has also been some controversy surrounding it. Many articles claim that the movie is an over-exaggeration and a stretching of the truth. According to Rolling Stone, the movie “offers a false perception of how the majority of child trafficking actually takes place.”
Many of the critics are leftist, arguing that the movie pushes a QAnon-adjacent agenda.
No matter how much creative liberty the filmmakers took when producing this movie, the objective was met: to start a conversation about child sex-trafficking. And it very much has.
Child sex trafficking currently holds over 100,000 minors captive, just in the United States. Cases have been reported in all 50 states. Statistics show that 46 children in America are taken and sold into slavery per day. This is no “exaggeration,” no “false perception.”
Regardless of whether “Sound of Freedom” mildly dramatizes the nightmare of the worldwide child sex trafficking ring, it sheds light on a massive network of extremely evil activity and succeeded in starting a global conversation. The theme of the movie, cited by Ballard throughout, was that “God’s children are not for sale,” and that has echoed throughout our country since the film’s release.
