Free In Deed (Jake Mahaffy, 2015): USA | New Zealand

Reviewed by Marlee Reed. Viewed at AFI Fest 2015.

A story ten years in the making finally sees the light of day in the film, Free in Deed. The story follows a man named Abe (David Harewood) who is haunted by his troubled past, resulting in his faith being tested day after day. He finds himself between jobs, from working as a janitor and working at the motel he’s been residing at, on top of volunteering at his mother’s church. The main focus of the story is the character of Melva, and how having an autistic son Benny Jr. (RaJay Chandler) has effected her life. As the film continues, Melva (Edwina Findley) begins to attend the same church as Abe, as a recommendation from an older woman earlier on in the film. She begins to dig deeper into her faith, as she forms a closer relationship with Abe after becoming a regular attendee of the church. After learning of her son’s condition, they begin private prayer sessions, in hopes of healing him from his disease.

The film is loosely based on the story of Ray Hemphill, convicted of child abuse as a result of an “exorcism” gone wrong. It raises the question of “How can a man suffocate a child to death, while thinking he’s healing him of his pain?”. Each member of the cast puts on a powerful performance, making sure the audience did not leave the theater with a dry eye. Cinematographer Ava Berkofsky did a great job at capturing scenes Benny Jr., blurring out the beginning of the scenes before focusing in on his distress. The film has a gloomy tone throughout, with dimly lit settings and cloudy skies in outdoor scenes. 

 


About this entry