Freedomland

Director: Joe Roth

Starring: Julianne Moore, Samuel L Jackson

Four-time Academy Award nominee, Julianne Moore links up with Samuel L. Jackson in this dramatic thriller. Brenda Martin (Moore) is involved in a carjacking and not only arrives at hospital severely injured, but also reveals that her 4-year-old son has been kidnapped. Her case is taken up by Lorenzo Council (Jackson), a detective intent on solving the mystery of the numerous kidnappings that have been occurring. Meanwhile, outrage is caused within the black community, due to the fact that a black man is seen as the major suspect. Lorenzo’s task lies, therefore, in solving the case, whilst withstanding the pressure of the protests. However, Brenda’s story does not seem to add up, and, after receiving the help of fellow mothers who have had their children kidnapped, she is ready to confess a disturbing truth.

Although marketed as another missing child thriller, Freedomland is, in reality, a much deeper and more complex film. Julianne Moore delivers a performance filled with pain, confusion and fear in a story that explores the politics of race and how they can be manipulated. It highlights the uncomfortable compromises that exist in some mixed-race communities and how quickly racial tensions can be ignited.

Ricky Wyatt