Summary

The article discusses the movie Sound of Freedom, which has had seemingly successful box office numbers but is reportedly playing to empty theaters, suggesting a possible marketing ploy involving QAnon conspiracy theories and astroturfing tactics.

Abstract

Sound of Freedom, a film about child sex trafficking, has achieved impressive box office results, yet reports indicate that theaters showing the film are curiously empty. The movie, starring Jim Caviezel, is associated with QAnon conspiracy theories, with Caviezel himself promoting such ideas during press appearances. Despite the film's financial success, it appears to be the result of a strategic marketing campaign rather than genuine audience interest. The distributor, Angel Studios, employs a 'pay it forward' method to encourage ticket purchases, which may be contributing to inflated sales figures. Additionally, the article points out that the movie was filmed before the rise of QAnon, and it does not mention adrenochrome, a substance linked to conspiracy theories. The phenomenon of buying tickets without attending the screenings, along with suspiciously uniform positive reviews, suggests astroturfing—a practice of manufacturing public support. This marketing strategy is seen as detrimental, as it exploits the serious issue of child trafficking for profit and political gain.

Opinions

The article implies that the success of Sound of Freedom at the box office may be artificially inflated, with sold-out showings that are actually empty.
Jim Caviezel's promotion of QAnon theories and his call for audiences to buy tickets to support the cause of ending child trafficking are seen as part of a marketing strategy.
The distributor, Angel Studios, is noted for their 'pay it forward' approach, which seems to be a tactic to boost ticket sales without actual viewership.
The article suggests that the positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are not genuine, pointing to the use of similar language and the lack of a diverse movie-watching history among the reviewers.
There is a critical view of the film's marketing tactics, stating that they exploit the issue of child trafficking and potentially trivialize it for political and financial gain.
The article emphasizes that the film's success is not reflective of true grassroots support but rather a result of orchestrated efforts to create the illusion of popularity.

Is Anyone Actually Watching ‘Sound of Freedom?’

Or is the seeming success built on astroturf?

New movie Sound of Freedom centers around Tim Ballard, former Homeland Security agent and founder of Operation Underground Railroad (OUR).

The plot’s all about his heroism in rescuing child sex trafficking victims through the kind of stings Mission: Impossible would be jealous of. Take notes, Tom Cruise.

It’s been a hero at the box office too, it was sitting pretty at number two with $27.3 the first weekend of its release, banking a gross of $110 million since its opening.

Banana for scale? How about Tom Cruise for scale? The new Mission: Impossible had the number one spot, at $56.2 million on opening weekend. Numbers from Box Office Mojo, which also put Mission:Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part I at a current gross of $104 million.

But something strange is being reported across the country:

All the sold-out showings? Yeah, they’re empty.

It’s probably a little too easy to chalk it all up to the QAnon conspiracy theories. There’s already been that controversy.

Star Jim Caviezel comes on screen at the end and begs viewers to buy more tickets so “other people can see it and help end child trafficking.”

Utah-based distributor Angel Studios loves this method. They call it ‘pay it forward.’

Caviezel, who you might remember as Jesus from the Mel Gibson joint The Passion of the Christ doesn’t just love paying it forward. He loves QAnon conspiracies.

He even shared some of these gems in press appearances. “The whole adrenochrome empire” is driving demand for trafficked children.

“It’s an elite drug that they’ve used for many years,” calling it “10 times more potent than heroin” and that it “has some mystical qualities as far as making you look younger.”

While obviously making for a better Jesus than scientist, it’s been an effective marketing ploy.

Ironically, the movie itself doesn’t mention anything about adrenochrome. It was actually filmed before QAnon, back in 2018.

Which is all well and good, but will it play?

Play it shall—but to dead-empty theaters.

Twitter user @CyKoore (prob not their real name) reported seven people showing up across nine viewings of Sound of Freedom.

Others on Twitter, TikTok, and any platform of your choice are saying the same.

In a strange twist of fate, they’re not even paying for the good seats. They’re paying for the “needs a neck brace after viewing,” seats, as shown by another Twitter user:

The Daily Dot’s Katherine Huggins noticed the same thing. Who buys seats like this? And more importantly—why?

QAnon life choices are beyond the scope of this piece, but it likely has something to do with (Like the TikToker pointed out above), something called astroturfing.

No, that’s not what happens to Texas A&M’s Kyle Field every 20 years or so.

Astroturfing, according to Webster’s progeny, Urban Dictionary, is the opposite of grassroots support. It’s artificial grassroots—hence, astroturf.

It’s the idea that, instead of garnering genuine public support for a product or issue, you pay for it instead.

It’s a game often played in politics. Send out mass, handwritten letters, all saying the same heartfelt-sounding thing, and ask for a vote for your candidate. Usually, it’s just boilerplate text, designed to sound real.

Here, it’s just paying for film tickets instead.

But the story gets weirder. The astroturfing is also happening in reviews.

Remember that I mentioned boilerplate?

Rotten Tomatoes reviews are many things, but they’re usually essays unto themselves. Audience reviews for Sound of Freedom are very…bland. And sound like most people have never seen it. Examples:

One of the best movies I’ve ever seen! A must watch in theaters!—Issac M.
Excellent movie. Very heavy but everyone needs to watch this movie.—Texan11 (Texan’s note: We’re not all like this. Promise.)
Absolute a must see movie that brings to the table an uncomfortable truth about human trafficking and child abuse—Ian Gabriel M.
This movie is great!! A+++—Alfredo D.

Each of those are posted today (July 22).

Each of those that has a working profile link, have only one movie. You guessed it!

Sound of Freedom.

You’ll notice there’s some common themes in these reviews that copywriters just adore.

Superlatives: the best, must-see, great
Exclamation points (y’all realize you only get one per year, right?)
Powerful, emotionally-charged language: uncomfortable, heavy, A+++

This is astroturfing.

And truly, not even good astroturfing. But the makers, of course, are tight-lipped. They’re making the money regardless. And what they have is a pretty good game going.

Spend $15 million on making a movie, and everybody pays to not watch it, and still gives you glowing reviews? What’s there to not like?

The sad truth? That it hurts people.

Specifically, kids that are victims of trafficking.

Angel Studios, Caviziel, 4chan, it doesn’t matter who did it. It’s diminishing the very real problem of child trafficking, to make a stand on some cultural battlefield.

It’s just more us vs. them logic, and the same kind that birthed Pizzagate.

But if it is Angel Studios and Caviziel running the game, they are quite literally profiting off the suffering of children, in order to make money and a political point.