While browsing Morning Brew (a witty and somewhat irreverent investment website), I stumbled upon a hidden gem of a movie called Sound of Freedom. This summer sleeper was released on July 4 and has surpassed all expectations by grossing over $150 million in July against its modest $14.5 million budget, and even outpacing the Tom Cruise Mission Impossible-Dead Reckoning Part One.
Who saw this coming?
It won’t be confused with Barbie.
Although the movie makes no stock recommendations, and there is no mention of any investment high-flyers, it does expose the dark side of the estimated $150 billion global sex-trafficking industry. This sinister industry is more than 10 X larger than the revenue for a median market capitalization company in the S&P 500 index. Given Cornerstone’s focus on investment information within a Christian context, it is worth shining the light on this horrific enterprise.
Sound of Freedom is a gripping thriller that is based on the real-life story of Tim Ballard, a former Homeland Security agent, who battled against human trafficking in Columbia. Ballard is depicted in a relentless pursuit to expose this malevolent global crime as he fights for freedom and justice for innocent children. When asked about his motivation, he says that “children are not for sale.”
The film stars include Jim Caviezel as Ballard and Emmy-Award winning Mira Sorvino, and it leaves a lasting impact on the fight for freedom for children. Interestingly, Disney had rights to this movie but shelved it and eventually sold it to Angel Studios.
Despite being a box office hit, Hollywood critics give mixed reviews-some praising the movie and its message and some more critical. Regardless, a poll conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies that was provided to Newsweek has found that it is viewed favorably by both a majority of Democrats and Republicans, indicating its broad appeal.
The movie tells the child sex-trafficking story to encourage awareness and inspire action to help stop this nefarious business. An epilogue shows Tim Ballard testifying before the United States Congress, and that this testimony helped pass legislation requiring the government to cooperate with foreign countries on sex trafficking investigations. The epilogue also states that there are more people enslaved today than at any other time in history, including when slavery was legal. Angel Studios introduced a novel, grassroots effort encouraging the purchase additional tickets to “Pay it Forward” to bring more people to the theater to help people “hear the story” of trafficking children.
Tim Ballard’s 2014 rescue efforts were driven by an altruistic motive to save children, and it is an inspiration at a time of deep polarization and self-interest. Imagine redirecting $150 billion generated by this illicit industry to support child education or psychological support? The impact would be incalculably positive.
Film Trailer including Emmy-Award winning Mira Sorvino.
Cornerstone typically produces posts related to investments and the economy, but there is also a mix of investment/Christian themes as listed below:
My last movie review was April 2018:
Paul, Apostle of Christ and Economic Priorities:
Previous Cornerstone commentary includes Christianity, Civilization and Capitalism. April 2023.
This is a long read and you may want to scroll down to appealing topics or jump to the Takeaways and Highlights section.
Jeff Johnson, CFA
August 5, 2023
See my Cornerstone Investment Website for investment insights.
Cornerstone Investments 