Movie Review: Freetown May be the Best LDS Film Ever

Garrett Batty (director of The Saratov Approach) and Adam Abel’s (producer of Saints and Soldiers) new movie, Freetown, might be the best LDS film to date. Not only is the story line captivating and the movie frames uniquely exotic and aesthetically striking, but the soundtrack music and script are like eating a red-velvet cake truffle for the first time: what starts with thoughts of indifference, turn into an indulgence in something surprisingly wonderful.

The script (written by Melissa Larsen and Garrett Batty) and the original movie soundtrack (composed by Robert Allen Elliott) vitally provide for the LDS movie’s superlative performance.

Summary

The film starts with a lonely scene of a worn, red 1990 Toyota Corolla stuck in the mud. Then, with a single fire of an AK-47, the tension of the entire movie is heightened and viewers find themselves sitting on the edge of their seat for the rest of the film.

Based on the true story of nine missionaries (in the movie, only six are depicted) who were set to serve in Liberia, when there was an outbreak of civil war; the missionaries are forced to flee the country and drive all the way to Freetown, Sierra Leone to escape the men pursuing to take one of their lives.

Level of Violence and Preachy Script

Despite the heavy subject matter (and the PG-13 rating to verify that this movie does not shelter it’s viewers from the realities of war), there are several moments of comic relief that leave viewers questioning how these missionaries could keep such positive attitudes in the midst of turmoil.

But, their positive attitudes are not to be mistaken as a sign of didactic script throughout the movie. There’s nothing worse than watching a situation in which lives are at stake and people are literally shot down with the confirmation of their tribe, and then someone lays on a cliche line about how “perhaps it was God’s will”, or that “they are better off in Heaven.” Melissa Larsen’s script is above such religious cliches.

Rather, Freetown has truly exposed what it means to have faith. For many of the missionaries and the mission president that assists in driving the missionaries to Freetown, the faith that they needed during this time of trial never come easy, and sometimes hardly at all.

Still, after being struck down, whip-lashed by the fear of murder, and placed in the very palm of death, they continue to remind one another to have faith. This very prospect is what leaves viewers in their seat, questioning if they could keep that same trust in the Lord, if ever faced with witnessing an elderly woman murdered with one shot, and their own lives at stake.

Why You Should See It

Freetown movie is like a morning glory. It’s vines wrap themselves around viewers and pull them in, entwining around their personal thoughts and emotions. By the end of the movie, viewers find themselves wound up in every scene and character, with a beautiful realization blooming and overflowing throughout themselves.

Thought-provoking and gripping, Freetown leaves its viewers with mixed emotions. Unsure whether they want to cry for joy or laugh with triumph, ultimately reminding themselves that this movie is based off of true events. With one single question lingering over their head: If the will to remain faithful were that exhausting, could I do it?

Do you agree with my review? What did you think of the movie? Let us know in the comment section below.