Freetown

I really can't understand why this movie "Freetown" rates so poorly here on IMDb although I do suspect that the poor rating might have something to do with the common (mis)perception among most people about the Mormon Church and those who follow the Mormon faith. I saw that at least one reviewer here said that the movie was nothing more than two hours of Mormon propaganda.

Some years ago, I was associated with the Mormon faith through some very good friends. I was introduced to the tenets of the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints but I didn't feel able to make the spiritual commitment to the Church that is required. Nonetheless, I will say that I found that everyone associated with the Church to be just the nicest and the most honest people I've ever met.

With that background, I thought "Freetown" a good movie. Not a great one by any means but very watchable and with the benefit of its being a true story. The movie is well produced, well acted for the most part, with a good and believable script and with some quite lovely cinematography.

The portrayal of the young Missionaries in "Freetown" was just as I have come to believe such people to be. Not a group that seeks to shove their ideology down the throats of other people; rather just decent and good people who wish only to help others to have happier lives. Despite its currently poor rating or 4.7, "Freetown" is definitely worth seeing.

JMV.

Two different cultures are being reflected in the reviews. I loved this movie. But then I also love things of good rapport. It often takes a lover of beauty to recognize and appreciate Beauty.

"Freetown" is a gripping, thrilling, inspiring film. "Freetown" is a beautifully shot film that truly belongs on the big screen. The cinematography by Jeremy Prusso is breath-taking, and it makes you feel as if you are in West Africa watching this true story unfold before your very eyes. All of the powerful "Freetown" cast members gave noteworthy performances, but Henry Adofo, Phillip Adekunle Michael, and Nuong Faalong performances stood out to me in very substantial ways. This film takes you on a journey of courage, faith, and suspense. While, also supplying unexpected laughs. You will laugh, cry, and find yourself on the edge of your seat during "Freetown."

Don't miss seeing "Freetown" in-theaters!

Firstly the film put me to sleep, not a good start. I woke up the next day and tried to watch the rest. There's a few scenes in the film which offer suspense and the aspects of the Liberian civil war we see are quite dramatic, however this is not an action film. There are some scenes of action which are necessary to drive the plot and provide the reasons by which a small group of men must flee. However these are widely dispersed and the predominant point of the film is to deliver some fairly tedious messages of faith.

It may have done better if it were possible to understand how Khran can be identified as they're hunted. It may have been better if it'd explained why the missionaries hadn't just taken off their shirts and ties and blended in.

An unexciting story on the whole, combined with some awful acting. I hope that some of the money that this film might make has gone to enrich the lives of those without much. If it wasn't for the exceptional camera work and fascinating views of Liberia I'd have rated this a two.

I'm a Mormon, and that definitely contributes to my love of this film, but is hardly the only factor (Mormon films that I don't particularly like include "The Singles' Ward", "Church Ball", "Passage to Zarahemla", and "The Book of Mormon Movie"). I was not told to watch this by my church leaders, as some have cynically suggested - it is an independent film and the LDS Church had no involvement or stance on it at all. I watched a free special premiere screening and enjoyed it so much that I watched it twice more to support the filmmakers.

The film doesn't showcase much of the scope or background of the Liberian Civil War, but instead focuses on the experience of a handful of people trying to escape from it. Although these people are Mormons, and the film is targeted primarily at Mormons, the film's faith-affirming message is broad enough to appeal to believers of all stripes. More skeptical or atheistic people probably won't find it as appealing, which may partially explain why it was nominated for nine or ten Ghana Movie Awards but received many lukewarm or negative reviews in the U.S. Despite the missionaries' highly visible name tags, the film says little about specifically Mormon doctrine or practice, but preaches a generic message of hope and faith through adversity.

I found it to have a good mix of tension and humor that held my interest throughout. Some people say it's boring, and we'll just have to agree to disagree. Some have complained that graphic violence isn't actually shown on screen; I think this is a tasteful "less is more" approach that most modern filmmakers have sadly abandoned altogether in favor of shock value. I felt that the humor was used sparingly and wisely; it's not a hilarious movie by any means, but has some smile-worthy moments to reduce the tension. We don't learn much about the individual missionaries' backstories or motivations but their interactions with each other bring them to life as real, young, sometimes naive but goodhearted people. And of course the soundtrack, particularly the opening sequence and the recurring vocals, is phenomenal.

This was filmed in West Africa with almost exclusively West African actors - specifically Ghana, since the Ebola epidemic prevented them from filming on location. This is a unique and good move both for LDS and American films as a whole. It is, of course, based on a true story - which placed a lot of constraints on what liberties could be taken with the plot that some have derided - but it's one of those rare times when a film adaptation of necessity becomes *less* incredible than the reality. In the film, there are only seven people in the car, so as to fit the camera; in reality there were nine. In the film, they need to pass through three rebel checkpoints; in reality there were about fifty.

If you're not Mormon, I can't promise you'll enjoy this movie as much as I do, but if you're not anti-religious messages I encourage you to give it a shot.