Streaming

Controversial Hit Movie Lands Streaming Home After Theatrical Success

Crime thriller ‘Sound of Freedom’ is coming to Prime Video on Dec. 26.
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POLAND – 2023/01/06: In this photo illustration a Prime Video logo seen displayed on a smartphone. (Photo Illustration by Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Sound of Freedom has found a new streaming home. The controversial crime thriller will be joining Prime Video on Dec. 26, according to Vulture. Starring Jim Caviezel, Mira Sorvino, and Bill Camp and inspired by Tim Ballard, the movie follows a former U.S. government agent who goes on a mission to rescue children from sex traffickers in Colombia. While Sound of Freedom was a theatrical success and brought in over $242 million on a $14.5 million budget, critics had other thoughts. And some of those thoughts weren’t necessarily good.

Many thought that the story revolving around human trafficking was a bit much, while others praised the movie for focusing on an issue that many films have shied away from. Sound of Freedom only received a 57 percent on Rotten Tomatoes but a 99 percent with the audience score. According to the Critics Consensus, “Sound of Freedom is an effective and suspenseful call to action against human trafficking, yet not free of issues in its depiction of the sensitive subject matter.” Despite the mixed reactions, the film is considered to be a pretty big success, even for being an independent film.

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Sound of Freedom was previously in a heated bidding war over the summer. In August, Vulture reported that whichever streamer ended up coming out on top would have to pay a licensing fee that would up to be at least eight figures. It’s unknown how much Prime Video spent, but Sound of Freedom, it seems to have been a good choice. It’s still going to be a while until the film comes to Prime Video, but fans no know that they will be able to watch it starting Dec. 26. And those that have yet to watch it will be able to see what all the hype is about. Fans will want to make sure they have a subscription to Prime Video so they are able to watch it, but Dec. 26 is still a long way away.

The film comes from Angel Studios and was directed by Alejandro Monteverde, who also wrote the script with Rod Barr. Its plot centers around Operation Underground Railroad, an anti-sex trafficking organization. After its release on July 4, 2023, Sound of Freedom became one of the most successful independent films in history. Between its box office domination and a bidding war, it’s clear that the film is a success. Whether that same success will be met on streaming is unknown, but it wouldn’t be surprising.