By Leonardo Cervantes
“Sound of Freedom” is a chilling true crime film on the many scary instances of child trafficking.
While horrifying, it does a marvelous job showcasing what these poor individuals have to suffer through.
“Sound of Freedom,” rated PG-13, shows the gruesome realities that involve child trafficking.
Tim Billard (Jim Caviezel) has the most powerful quote in the film, “God’s children are not for sale,” in reference to why he’s trying to save these children.
Knowing many kids were in trouble, Billard made it his mission to save them by quitting his job and going to rescue them alone.
The opening scene is gut-wrenching as it shows one of the many ways kids are abducted.
A talent promoter stops by a house and shows the child’s father past child actors that she has supposedly booked.
The father has an uneasy feeling, but not wanting to let down his overjoyous daughter, he agrees to take her to the studio.
There are over a dozen boys and girls who are all posing and acting in front of the camera, but that’s when reality sets in.
They all disappear into the night without a trace left behind. This opening scene sets up the tragedies that are to commence.
Billard is the lead character and the man responsible for tracking down kids who have been abducted.
He truly shines in this film where he is able to showcase his determination and compassion for these tragedies all in one.
Billard was only 10 months away from receiving his pension from the Department of Homeland Security before quitting his job and heading to Colombia to find these abducted children.
Billard’s demeanor is stoic and serious at all times, but deep down he has a soft spot for the misfortune some families are forced to suffer.
Billard was no longer satisfied taking down pedophiles, instead he wanted to help catch the source of their crimes.
The choreography used in Colombia is magnificent. Every setting imaginable is showcased, from the beautiful ocean, to the dark sketchy alleys and even the treacherous jungles where cops don’t even step foot.
It is a great idea for the directors to make use of Colombia’s landscape as it showcased many beautiful scenes.
The biggest knock on the film was the lack of music and far too many instances of minimal or no dialouge.
In one sense, taking a few seconds to respond magnifies how serious the situation is or how lost for words an individual can be, but in a movie it just feels odd.
Instead, Alejandro Gomez Monteverde should have replaced the silent moments with suspenseful music. At least that leaves the viewers on edge.
Perhaps that’s why the scene with Billard running stands out. Billard is shown running down a small ,barely lit street which is odd to see, but adds to the suspense along with the uneasy beat playing in the background that get louder with each step.
Overall, this is a good movie with an even more important message. While properly produced and cast the film was excellent, but it wasn’t for the faint of heart.
It sheds light on the dark realities of what some of these kids are forced to live through.
The film is available to watch on Netflix and has a runtime of two hours and 11 minutes.