Review: ‘The Abolitionists’ reveals grim war on global sex trafficking

A series of undercover sting operations to bust child-sex traffickers provides an involving, if not entirely gripping engine for “The Abolitionists,” a quasi-faith-based documentary from producer-directors Darrin Fletcher and Chet Thomas.

The film’s protagonist is Tim Ballard, a charismatic Homeland Security special agent devoted to freeing children from the bonds of sex tourism, a startlingly rampant and lucrative global industry.

The movie tracks Ballard and his specialized team of enforcers as they travel to Colombia and Haiti, posing as party guys in search of tween and teen sex partners. With the help of local law enforcement, they attempt to entrap the pimps and facilitators who enslave innocent, desperate youngsters.

The success of Ballard and company’s efforts varies here, highlighting the elusive, complex nature of this heinous business. Hidden cameras and surveillance equipment are deftly employed to capture the precarious rescue missions as well as those participants on both sides of the law.

Several teen girls are discreetly interviewed about their experiences as sex-trade victims. But as is mostly the case here, the filmmakers eschew overly explicit details and visuals, relying more on broader concepts and ghastly statistics (“Every 30 seconds, a child is sold as a sex slave”) to chill our bones.

Although that may help broaden the film’s audience, this vital, heartfelt portrait lacks the visceral gut-punch needed to fully resonate.

-------------

‘The Abolitionists’

In English, Spanish and Haitian Creole with English subtitles

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for disturbing content involving trafficking of children, and some sexual references.

Running time: 1 hour, 26 minutes

Playing: Cinemark 18 & XD, Los Angeles

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour »