“Sound of Freedom” is one of 2023’s most unexpected success stories. The indie thriller made $248 million at the worldwide box office, showing that some underdog movies can do big business. However, the controversy surrounding “Sound of Freedom” has been divisive, mainly because the movie deals with the topic of child sex trafficking and has been accused of propagating QAnon-endorsed conspiracy theories. This is partly due to the casting of Jim Caviezel, who previously lent his support to a conspiracy that argues adrenochrome is being harvested from children to feed a powerful network of cannibals.
Shah Rukh Khan’s “Jawan,” meanwhile, incited industry upheaval in Bangladesh. The Indian actioner’s release came after the country’s government changed legislation to allow 10 Hindi films to be shown in theaters annually. While this edict arguably diversifies the national moviegoing experience, its critics argue that it risks overshadowing films made by Bangladeshi artists, and some of them took to the streets to protest.
“John Wick: Chapter 4” didn’t elicit any major controversies, despite the movie having a higher body count than most of 2023’s releases combined. Some of its detractors took issue with Keanu Reeves’ lack of dialogue and Scott Adkins’ fatsuit, and Oliver Stone also lambasted the film for being more like a video game than a movie. However, the other films caused debates in sociopolitical forums, with a couple actually leading to governmental action. That makes “John Wick: Chapter 4” seem tame in comparison.
