First and foremost, this is a story that is needed, maybe not wanted, maybe not comfortable, but a story people need to hear. The subject matter is heavy, no one wants to talk about, confront, or even hear about child sex trafficking, but it exists when it shouldn't, and this is the story for those victims.
The story opens with Jim Caviezel playing a stoic, yet dedicated HSI agent who's mission is to investigate, capture, and prosecute pedophiles. A job that would take it's toll on the toughest of individuals. He is confronted, after saving a young boy who is the victim of child sex trafficking, with the truth that simply going after these monsters is not enough, and he sets out to rescue the young boy's sister, with or without the help of the US Department of Homeland Security. The following story is one of bravery, discovery, and the telling of a tale of how far a man must go to combat evil.
The story is told in a way that lets you know the horror of the subject matter, but doesn't show it- it's all subtly implied and pulls no punches in what it's insinuating, but again, shows nothing, it's PG-13, after all. The film does wonders in evoking the horror and disgust emotions it's trying to without being graphic. It really makes it easy to distinguish good from evil. And wow, is the evil truly despicable.
The set pieces are fantastic, and it the team does a really good job of making it feel like it really was filmed on location (which some of it was). The mood is dark, yet there are still glimmers of hope, while the story brings you through the journey of the hero, Tim Ballard. And while the film was produced by Angel Studios, a Christian film studio, and starring Jim Caviezel, a very vocal and unapologetic Christian actor, the film only drops a few religious bits here and there and doesn't beat you over the head or preach to you, which was done very respectfully, and tactfully to appeal to a wider audience. The direction, cinematography, and score are all blended perfectly to bring this story to life and tell you the adaptation of a true story in a way that makes it feel like it was made with a much higher budget than $14M. One area where this can be seen is the raid on the island in which when one does the research will find that the actual event was much larger than depicted on screen.
The acting was superb, and we're treated to a very emotional, and deep portrayal as the father of the two main children, played by Jose Zuniga, who is seemingly always in secondary and support roles, but has the talent and depth to really flesh out a character. Kurt Fuller, who plays Ballard's boss at DHS always delivers, and this film is no exception, despite it being a rather small role. Another small, but well played and important role, was Mira Sorvino's Katherine Ballard, the wife of the titular hero. Rounding out the supporting parts, Bill Camp really steals the show as Vampiro, the cartel financier turned anti-trafficking guru. He shows Ballard the ropes, and aids him every step of the way in his quest. Camp really brings a level of passion and heartbreak to a character with a dark past trying to atone for his past transgressions.
And of course there's Caviezel. He does such a wonderful job of portraying a character that is so driven and focused. He really makes you feel the emotions along with him, and has this uncanny ability to have a level of pain, torture, and sadness just under the surface, ready to burst out, but is able to keep it contained. There are moments in the film where he appears like he could start bawling at any moment, but is able to keep it in check. A talent in acting that is difficult to master, but that Jim does with the appearance of ease.
For such a heavy subject matter, and dark portrayal of the story, it really does give you hope that maybe one day this scourge on humanity can be defeated. The story does exactly what it set out to accomplish, tell a story, raise awareness, force us as a society to confront the evil that exists in our world. Forget the lies and distractions that many in the media are trying to say, this isn't a QAnon propaganda piece, it's based on actual events, that actually happened, that film evidence of exists and is shown prior to the credits. This is a story that needs to be seen, shared, and discussed. I'm hopeful it precipitates change, as what Caviezel's character says so well is so true: "God's children are not for sale."
The story opens with Jim Caviezel playing a stoic, yet dedicated HSI agent who's mission is to investigate, capture, and prosecute pedophiles. A job that would take it's toll on the toughest of individuals. He is confronted, after saving a young boy who is the victim of child sex trafficking, with the truth that simply going after these monsters is not enough, and he sets out to rescue the young boy's sister, with or without the help of the US Department of Homeland Security. The following story is one of bravery, discovery, and the telling of a tale of how far a man must go to combat evil.
The story is told in a way that lets you know the horror of the subject matter, but doesn't show it- it's all subtly implied and pulls no punches in what it's insinuating, but again, shows nothing, it's PG-13, after all. The film does wonders in evoking the horror and disgust emotions it's trying to without being graphic. It really makes it easy to distinguish good from evil. And wow, is the evil truly despicable.
The set pieces are fantastic, and it the team does a really good job of making it feel like it really was filmed on location (which some of it was). The mood is dark, yet there are still glimmers of hope, while the story brings you through the journey of the hero, Tim Ballard. And while the film was produced by Angel Studios, a Christian film studio, and starring Jim Caviezel, a very vocal and unapologetic Christian actor, the film only drops a few religious bits here and there and doesn't beat you over the head or preach to you, which was done very respectfully, and tactfully to appeal to a wider audience. The direction, cinematography, and score are all blended perfectly to bring this story to life and tell you the adaptation of a true story in a way that makes it feel like it was made with a much higher budget than $14M. One area where this can be seen is the raid on the island in which when one does the research will find that the actual event was much larger than depicted on screen.
The acting was superb, and we're treated to a very emotional, and deep portrayal as the father of the two main children, played by Jose Zuniga, who is seemingly always in secondary and support roles, but has the talent and depth to really flesh out a character. Kurt Fuller, who plays Ballard's boss at DHS always delivers, and this film is no exception, despite it being a rather small role. Another small, but well played and important role, was Mira Sorvino's Katherine Ballard, the wife of the titular hero. Rounding out the supporting parts, Bill Camp really steals the show as Vampiro, the cartel financier turned anti-trafficking guru. He shows Ballard the ropes, and aids him every step of the way in his quest. Camp really brings a level of passion and heartbreak to a character with a dark past trying to atone for his past transgressions.
And of course there's Caviezel. He does such a wonderful job of portraying a character that is so driven and focused. He really makes you feel the emotions along with him, and has this uncanny ability to have a level of pain, torture, and sadness just under the surface, ready to burst out, but is able to keep it contained. There are moments in the film where he appears like he could start bawling at any moment, but is able to keep it in check. A talent in acting that is difficult to master, but that Jim does with the appearance of ease.
For such a heavy subject matter, and dark portrayal of the story, it really does give you hope that maybe one day this scourge on humanity can be defeated. The story does exactly what it set out to accomplish, tell a story, raise awareness, force us as a society to confront the evil that exists in our world. Forget the lies and distractions that many in the media are trying to say, this isn't a QAnon propaganda piece, it's based on actual events, that actually happened, that film evidence of exists and is shown prior to the credits. This is a story that needs to be seen, shared, and discussed. I'm hopeful it precipitates change, as what Caviezel's character says so well is so true: "God's children are not for sale."