2006·Thriller·1h 53m
7.0
★
A black police detective must solve a strange case of a kidnapped boy and deal with a big racial protest.
Directed by Joe Roth
new jersey
psychopath
lie
psychological stress
baby-snatching
psychiatric ward
xenophobia
human mystery
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Where to Watch
Cast
Samuel L. Jackson
Lorenzo Council
Julianne Moore
Brenda Martin
Edie Falco
Karen Collucci
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
Felicia
William Forsythe
Boyle
Anthony Mackie
Billy Williams
Peter Friedman
Lt. Gold
Domenick Lombardozzi
Leo Sullivan
Aasif Mandvi
Dr. Anil Chatterjee
Philip Bosco
Priest
Clarke Peters
Reverend Longway
LaTanya Richardson Jackson
Marie
Crew
Joe Roth
Director
Richard Price
Writer
James Newton Howard
Original Music Composer
Nick Moore
Editor
Anastas N. Michos
Director of Photography
Charles Newirth
Executive Producer
Scott Rudin
Producer
Allan A. Apone
Makeup Artist
David Wasco
Production Design
Margery Simkin
Casting
Sandy Reynolds-Wasco
Set Decoration
Ann Roth
Costume Design
Popular Reviews
23 reviews
Adam
5.0★ · 07/05/25
Why is this actually called Freedomland? lol
Why is this actually called Freedomland? lol
Jagdish
3.3★ · 06/13/25
Is he dead? Just nod your head.
In one of FREEDOMLAND’s earliest scenes, Samuel L. Jackson’s detective character is so overwhelmed by the mere mention of a kidnapped child that he begins hyperventilating and requires a doctor to inject him with adrenaline. It’s an unintentionally laughable moment that sets the tone for a film that constantly veers into overwrought territory, mistaking melodrama for emotional weight. This reaction, meant to convey deep empathy, instead comes off as bizarrely theatrical—and is emblematic of the film’s fundamental problem: it doesn’t know how to modulate its intensity.
Equally baffling is the title FREEDOMLAND, which refers to a defunct children’s hospital that, according to one character, was once the site of widespread neglect and abuse. It also happens to be where an unstable mother decides to bury her child, turning a place once meant to represent care and hope into a literal graveyard of horror. The film clearly intends this to be rich with tragic irony, but the symbolism lands with a thud. The name “Freedomland” becomes unintentionally silly—a failed attempt at gravitas that underscores the film’s lack of subtlety.
Worst of all (despite Julianne’s decent performance as a manic woman in distress), FREEDOMLAND never decides what kind of film it wants to be—thriller, social commentary, or psychological drama—and as a result, it fails at all three. What should have been a powerful exploration of race, trauma, and truth ends up being a confused and ultimately forgettable misfire.
In one of FREEDOMLAND’s earliest scenes, Samuel L. Jackson’s detective character is so overwhelmed by the mere mention of a kidnapped child that he begins hyperventilating and requires a doctor to inject him with adrenaline. It’s an unintentionally laughable moment that sets the tone for a film that constantly veers into overwrought territory, mistaking melodrama for emotional weight. This reaction, meant to convey deep empathy, instead comes off as bizarrely theatrical—and is emblematic of the film’s fundamental problem: it doesn’t know how to modulate its intensity.
Equally baffling is the title FREEDOMLAND, which refers to a defunct children’s hospital that, according to one character, was once the site of widespread neglect and abuse. It also happens to be where an unstable mother decides to bury her child, turning a place once meant to represent care and hope into a literal graveyard of horror. The film clearly intends this to be rich with tragic irony, but the symbolism lands with a thud. The name “Freedomland” becomes unintentionally silly—a failed attempt at gravitas that underscores the film’s lack of subtlety.
Worst of all (despite Julianne’s decent performance as a manic woman in distress), FREEDOMLAND never decides what kind of film it wants to be—thriller, social commentary, or psychological drama—and as a result, it fails at all three. What should have been a powerful exploration of race, trauma, and truth ends up being a confused and ultimately forgettable misfire.
Is he dead? Just nod your head.
In one of FREEDOMLAND’s earliest scenes, Samuel L. Jackson’s detective character is so overwhelmed by the mere mention of a kidnapped child that he begins hyperventilating and requires a doctor to inject him with adrenaline. It’s an unintentionally laughable moment that sets the tone for a film that constantly veers into overwrought territory, mistaking melodrama for emotional weight. This reaction, meant to convey deep empathy, instead comes off as bizarrely theatrical—and is emblematic of the film’s fundamental problem: it doesn’t know how to modulate its intensity.
Equally baffling is the title FREEDOMLAND, which refers to a defunct children’s hospital that, according to one character, was once the site of widespread neglect and abuse. It also happens to be where an unstable mother decides to bury her child, turning a place once meant to represent care and hope into a literal graveyard of horror. The film clearly intends this to be rich with tragic irony, but the symbolism lands with a thud. The name “Freedomland” becomes unintentionally silly—a failed attempt at gravitas that underscores the film’s lack of subtlety.
Worst of all (despite Julianne’s decent performance as a manic woman in distress), FREEDOMLAND never decides what kind of film it wants to be—thriller, social commentary, or psychological drama—and as a result, it fails at all three. What should have been a powerful exploration of race, trauma, and truth ends up being a confused and ultimately forgettable misfire.
In one of FREEDOMLAND’s earliest scenes, Samuel L. Jackson’s detective character is so overwhelmed by the mere mention of a kidnapped child that he begins hyperventilating and requires a doctor to inject him with adrenaline. It’s an unintentionally laughable moment that sets the tone for a film that constantly veers into overwrought territory, mistaking melodrama for emotional weight. This reaction, meant to convey deep empathy, instead comes off as bizarrely theatrical—and is emblematic of the film’s fundamental problem: it doesn’t know how to modulate its intensity.
Equally baffling is the title FREEDOMLAND, which refers to a defunct children’s hospital that, according to one character, was once the site of widespread neglect and abuse. It also happens to be where an unstable mother decides to bury her child, turning a place once meant to represent care and hope into a literal graveyard of horror. The film clearly intends this to be rich with tragic irony, but the symbolism lands with a thud. The name “Freedomland” becomes unintentionally silly—a failed attempt at gravitas that underscores the film’s lack of subtlety.
Worst of all (despite Julianne’s decent performance as a manic woman in distress), FREEDOMLAND never decides what kind of film it wants to be—thriller, social commentary, or psychological drama—and as a result, it fails at all three. What should have been a powerful exploration of race, trauma, and truth ends up being a confused and ultimately forgettable misfire.
Lisa Rondelli
4.0★ · 01/31/25
Slow,boring and predictable.
Slow,boring and predictable.
chiara
2.0★ · 01/10/25
looks around
looks around
Maxi
6.0★ · 05/16/18
Angeblich wurde die Geschichte nach einer wahren Begebenheit erzählt - hier jedoch wirkt die Rassismus-Debatte aufgezwungen, die beiden Storystränge passen schnell nicht mehr zusammen und lösen sich schließlich in ein sehr vorhersehbares Ende auf. Zu Beginn noch halbwegs spannend, kocht der Film irgendwann nur noch auf Sparflamme. Immerhin überzeugt der Cast, speziell Julianne Moore heult sich äußerst effektiv durch den Streifen.
Angeblich wurde die Geschichte nach einer wahren Begebenheit erzählt - hier jedoch wirkt die Rassismus-Debatte aufgezwungen, die beiden Storystränge passen schnell nicht mehr zusammen und lösen sich schließlich in ein sehr vorhersehbares Ende auf. Zu Beginn noch halbwegs spannend, kocht der Film irgendwann nur noch auf Sparflamme. Immerhin überzeugt der Cast, speziell Julianne Moore heult sich äußerst effektiv durch den Streifen.