Led by a commanding Jim Caviezel, Sound of Freedom is an intense and soul wrenching thriller that explores one man’s calling to confront the evil scourge of child trafficking.

“God’s children are not for sale.”

It’s hard to think of a more impactful line of dialogue from a recent film that perfectly excaptulates the mission statement of a movie and its lead character. Sound of Freedom, the latest film from faith-based production company Angel Studios, tells the story of Tim Ballard, a former agent for the Department of Homeland Security who has dedicated his life to saving children from child sex traffickers, in the process creating Operation Underground Railroad.

It is an insurmountable task. Child sex trafficking generates $150 billion a year, and the slimy tentacles of its underground operations reach far and wide from the poorest of slums to the upper echelons of society. Worst yet, many have chosen to ignore the issue. It is too hard, too sickening, and as one character says in the film “too ugly for polite conversation.”

Sound of Freedom hopes to change that. Directed by Alejandro Monteverde (Bella), Sound of Freedom stars Jim Caviezel as Ballard, an accomplished and principles driven Homeland Security agent who is introduced arresting a suitably slimy-looking paedophile caught downloading child pornography.

When Ballard is challenged with the question of “who is saving the children?”, he dives into a case involving the abduction of siblings Rocio (Cristal Aparicio) and Miguel (Lucas Avila) by child traffickers posing as talent agents. Wading through the slimy depths of a salacious underground trade, Ballard travels to Columbia where he recruits several allies to create an undercover sting operation with the aim of saving dozens of children.

Ballard had personally requested Caviezel play him in the movie, and when watching Sound of Freedom, it is easy to see why. Caviezel brings a stern resolve to his portrayal of a man who, behind his steely gaze, wrestles with the anguish of how the most vulnerable and innocent of society can be abused and exploited with such frequency, callousness, and greed.

In choosing not to say on the sidelines, Ballard embraces his calling as a protector of children from evil men (and at times women) as a mission that holds much in the way of spiritual prominence. Sound of Freedom is indeed a film about good combating evil, and in the portrayal of that evil Sound of Freedom can be a tough watch, as children are shown abduced, transported in shipping containers, and then sold to perverted demons. Thankfully, the film does not delve into exploitative depictions of abuse.

There are components missing from Sound of Freedom that could have made it a more impressive whole. More time should have been given to how Ballard’s job impacts his family life, with Mira Sorvino’s portrayal as Ballard’s wife, Katherine, limited to a few brief scenes of positive affirmation for Ballard’s mission. A talent like Sorvino deserved more.

Regardless, Sound of Freedom succeeds as a potently made and performed movie that highlights an important yet too often ignored issue.