Sound of Freedom Studio’s new film is receiving rave reviews

The studio that brought the world Sound of freedom has had renewed success with his follow-up film.

Angel Studios secured distribution rights to the film about former Homeland Security agent Tim Ballard’s efforts to end child sex trafficking, and it became the surprise box office hit of 2023.

The independent studio is preparing for release After death, a Christian-centered exploration of what happens when we die, based on the testimony of people who have had near-death experiences.

One critic described the film, due in theaters on October 27, as a “provocative, well-edited, fair and balanced documentary about the afterlife.”

“Whether you are religious, agnostic, spiritual or atheist, you will find plenty to think about in this insightful documentary. With a running time of 1 hour and 50 minutes After death finds just the right balance between entertaining the audience and provoking the audience intellectually and emotionally. “It will be released nationwide through Angel Studios,” film critic Avi Offer wrote on his website.

While Mike McGranaghan from the Aisle Seat film website wrote this After death offers an “uplifting reflection” on its subject.

“No matter where you fall on the topic, listen to the stories covered in… After death is consistently captivating. Their opinions on the concept of life after death are questioned and brought into greater focus. “You have enough thought-provoking ideas to keep your mind active for days,” he wrote.

After death Early reviews are an improvement Sound of freedom Overall critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which stands at 58 percent. But similar to the film’s box office success, the film’s audience rating is also a whopping 99 percent with more than 10,000 verified reviews.

The documentary also appears to be following in the footsteps of its studio counterpart at the box office, hitting 87 percent of its advance sales goal by selling nearly 146,000 tickets ahead of its release.

Sound of freedom is the 10th highest-grossing film at the US box office this year, surpassing major Hollywood franchises such as the 2023 releases of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny And Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.

However, the film was met with a number of controversies, including criticism from child trafficking experts over its portrayal of the issue and was linked to QAnon conspiracy theories. Ballard’s organization, Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), which he founded after leaving Homeland Security, was the subject of a news investigation in 2020 that accused it of confusing the truth about its missions and its operations were criticized by government authorities, because they did not adhere to best practice guidelines. according to Vice News.

An expert told Newsweek, “There are a lot of misunderstandings about the nature of human trafficking.”

Rachel Lovell of the National Crime and Justice Research Alliance said there was ample evidence that domestic trafficking within one’s own country was much more common, as was “sex tourism,” where people travel somewhere where “children have less protection.” Child trafficking across international borders.

“I’m not saying it doesn’t happen because we know it does happen,” Lovell said, adding, “It’s just so sensational” to portray it that way Sound of freedom has.

Ballard is also facing legal problems as five women are suing him, accusing him of forcing them to have sex while they worked with him on child rescue missions.

He left OUR after the allegations were revealed and was denounced as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Ballard denied any wrongdoing and dismissed the claims as “baseless fabrications designed to destroy me and the movement we have built to end the trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable children.”

Recently, one of the film’s producers and actors threatened LGBTQ+ and other communities in a social media video.

Eduardo Verástegui, who hopes to run for president in Mexico, shared a video on X, formerly Twitter, showing himself shooting a firearm during target practice.

“Look at what we will do to the terrorists of Agenda 2030, climate change and gender ideology,” reads the headline, written in Spanish. “I read you [your comments].”