TV & Movies

Is Sound of Freedom not being promoted?

Daisy Phillipson
Jim Caviezel in Sound of FreedomAngel Studios

While Sound of Freedom is one of the most surprisingly successful movies of 2023, it’s raised questions about the extent to which it’s being promoted – here’s what you need to know.

Directed by Alejandro Gómez Monteverde, Sound of Freedom tells the true story of former government agent Tim Ballard, who quit his job to launch the nonprofit organization Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), which focuses on saving children from sex trafficking rings. 

So far, it sounds like a solid dramatization of a true story, right? Well, there’s far more to this film than meets the eye. A debate about the controversy surrounding the narrative continues to heat up online, with claims of its association to QAnon on the one hand, and accusations that Hollywood and the mainstream media is trying to block the film on the other. 

Though Sound of Freedom is currently in first place in the US domestic box office charts, those who agree with the latter have suggested that the film isn’t being promoted in the way it deserves. Is this actually true? Read on to find out more. 

Is Sound of Freedom not being promoted?

Sound of Freedom has its own dedicated social media pages, as well as numerous posts from its distributor, Angel Studios. So, why are so many fans asking why the movie isn’t being promoted? Well, the question appears to be directed at major news outlets, movie theaters, and streaming platforms, alluding to the allegations that they have “suspicious” motives to cover up sex trafficking crimes.

As we explained in our article, Disney once owned the rights to Sound of Freedom after it took over 21st Century Fox in 2019, only to then shelve the project. The film’s producer, Eduardo Verastegui, previously said the team went through a long-winded battle to secure a distribution deal, with the project eventually landing with Angel Studios, which crowdfunded $5 million from its investors to get Sound of Freedom in cinemas. 

Now that the film is out, reviews from many outlets have criticized it for being “QAnon adjacent” due to its subject matter, as well as the fact that Tim Ballard and the actor who plays him, Passion of the Christ star Jim Caviezel, shared their support for the conspiracy theory. 

Anyone familiar with the QAnon theory will know that, at its core, supporters believe a cabal of cannibalistic Satanic elitists are operating a child sex trafficking ring, and that this group conspired against Donald Trump during his US presidency. 

Allegations within the movement argue that politicians, mainstream media, and Hollywood are all in cahoots with these Satanic abusers, and that they push the agenda out into the world and protect abusers – and this is where the issue of Sound of Freedom’s promotion comes in. 

Accusations continue to circulate that Disney, Netflix, and Amazon Prime refused to obtain the rights to Sound of Freedom or promote the film’s release to prevent the truth about child abuse from spreading to viewers across the globe. They also claim that mainstream media outlets are bashing the movie for the same reason.

Although the film is set to get an international release at a later date, one commenter asked on Twitter: “Can anyone tell me why we are unable to watch the movie Sound of Freedom in Australia? Just the fact that this movie is not being promoted exposes the cover up by our Pedo governments & corrupted media, let the truth be known!”

Tweet about Sound of Freedom
Tweet about Sound of Freedom

“I’m never one to openly talk about movies. Sound of Freedom is a MUST watch. It is one of the most captivating films that was not promoted or is being talked about by big media,” said another, while a third added: “Why is the movie Sound of Freedom not being like massively promoted rn… is lowk so crazy.”

A fourth chimed in: “I just finished Sound of Freedom & it was the hardest movie I have ever watched. The fact that this movie was road blocked for 5 yrs and it’s not being promoted tells me everything I need to know.”

But one Twitter user suggested the main reason we’re not seeing the film on billboards or in official ad campaigns could be due to the fact that it’s not got as big a budget as other blockbuster movies. “The Sound Of Freedom may tell a very important story, however, the reason it’s not being promoted is bc its from a small studio that doesn’t have money for promo,” they explained. “The only movies that get promo are the ones who can afford to pay for it. Stop politicizing everything.”

It’s also important to point out that there’s no evidence to suggest there’s any intentional avoidance of promotion. In fact, Sound of Freedom seems to be everywhere since dropping in theaters.

Where is Sound of Freedom being promoted?

Alongside its dedicated social media campaigns, Sound of Freedom has received endorsements from numerous celebrities, politicians, and religious outlets.  

The Washington Stand, the outlet for Family Research Council, an American evangelical activist group, published an article titled “Five reasons you must see Sound of Freedom”. It has also been shared far and wide on right wing media platforms, from Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire to forums on 4Chan. 

However, much of its conservative associations have overshadowed the central plot of the film, which is about the very real issue of one of the worst crimes in the world. This was highlighted by Variety’s Owen Gleiberman, who wrote in his review: “Let’s assume that, like me, you’re not a right-wing fundamentalist conspiracy theorist looking for a dark, faith-based suspense film to see over the holiday weekend.

“Even then, you needn’t hold extreme beliefs to experience Sound of Freedom as a compelling movie that shines an authentic light on one of the crucial criminal horrors of our time, one that Hollywood has mostly shied away from.”

Elsewhere, Mel Gibson, Dana White, and Elon Musk have all endorsed the movie too in one way or another. The former shared a video urging people to go and see Sound of Freedom, White offered free cinema tickets for his employees, and the Twitter CEO proposed free promotion on the platform. 

But much of its success has resulted from word of mouth, with countless social media posts, YouTube videos, and discussions about the movie circulating online. Angel Studios also offers a Pay It Forward scheme, whereby moviegoers are able to purchase tickets for others who may not be able to see the film. Thanks to the campaign, nearly 4.1 million tickets have been bought for Sound of Freedom, far surpassing its 2 million goal. 

What did Lauren Chen say about Sound of Freedom?

Another person who has gained attention amid the release of Sound of Freedom is Lauren Chen, a controversial YouTuber known for her political and social commentary. This is most likely due to a YouTube video titled “Why Hollywood elites don’t want you to watch Sound of Freedom”, which has garnered more than 1.2 million views and is a segment taken from the latest episode of the PBD podcast featuring Chen.

In the clip, she explains why it took so long to get Sound of Freedom out, stating: “It was made by Fox before the Disney acquisition. So then Disney, they essentially didn’t release it, they didn’t want to release it; they sold it to this other studio and this studio actually had to crowdfund to get a theatrical release. 

“So that’s kind of what’s ironic about the fact that it did beat Indiana Jones, at least for one weekend, is that this could have been money going to Disney, but it’s also kind of suspicious. Why didn’t Disney want to release this movie? Was it not in line with their branding?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyyyKcfJRGQ

Chen went on to slam the “liberal” media outlets criticizing the movie. “Yeah, you should be afraid for your children,” she said. “You should be actively trying to prevent this. Why is moral outrage bad when this is something that’s objectively evil?”

This is just a short segment of the full video, but it should at least give you an understanding of what one side of the debate is saying about the film and the reaction to it. 

Sound of Freedom can be streamed on Prime Video, which you can sign up for here. You can also check out our other coverage below:

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