Critics in the liberal media hate it. Hollywood is stunned. Audiences, however, can’t seem to get enough of this summer’s most unlikely box office hit, “Sound of Freedom.”

The film stars Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus in Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ,” as a former federal agent, Tim Ballard, on a quest to save children from sex traffickers. The tale, based on a true story, takes Mr. Ballard into the seamier corners of Latin America, where he declares, “God’s children are not for sale.”

Laden with faith-based themes and released by Utah-based Angel Studios, which specializes in Bible-themed releases, the film was the top-grossing movie in America the weekend it opened, barely beating out the latest Indiana Jones sequel and recouping its reportedly $14 million budget off the bat.

“Sound of Freedom” came in a respectable third place this weekend with an estimated $18 million in ticket sales across 2,850 theaters for a running total of nearly $40 million, according to the Associated Press. “Insidious: the Red Door,” the second installment in a horror franchise starring Patrick Stewart took the top slot this weekend with an estimated gross of $32 million, and the latest Indiana Jones came in second with an estimated $26.5 million.

The film has succeeded despite being savaged by liberal Hollywood critics. Rotten Tomatoes currently gives it a meager 76 percent approval rating overall, but an audience score of 99 percent. Rolling Stone calls it “a superhero movie for dads with brainworms.” The pop culture site Jezebel writes that, “At last, QAnon’s camp appeal gets the cinematic exploration it demands.”

“The uninitiated may not pick up on the red-yarn-and-corkboard subtext pinned onto a mostly straightforward extraction mission in South America, pretty much “Taken” with a faint whiff of something noxious in the air,” the film critic at the U.K.’s Guardian newspaper writes. “Those tuned in to the eardrum-perforating frequency of QAnon, however, have heeded a clarion call that leads right to the multiplex.”

Nothing about “Sound of Freedom” is normal by traditional Hollywood standards. Initially produced for Fox in 2018, the project — directed by Alejandro Monteverde and produced by Eduardo Verástegui — was shelved when Disney acquired the studio in 2019. The producers bought the rights back and were negotiating a new release date when the pandemic hit and the film industry imploded.

Angel Studios later shopped the film via traditional distributors, but was rejected at every turn. The company then turned to crowd-funding, and raised $5 million from some 7,200 investors within two weeks to cover the marketing and distribution costs. Those investors, the company says, stand to make a 20 percent profit from their investments.

Despite the liberal hang-wringing over the film, audiences have reportedly been bursting into applause at the conclusion of the film, even in such liberal bastions as Manhattan. Celebrity endorsement from the likes of Mr. Gibson and Gina Carano also have boosted the film, as have the producers’ appearances on right-wing media outlets such as Fox News, Steve Bannon’s War Room, and Mike Lindell’s streaming platform, Lindell TV. 

Among those propelling the film forward with public encouragement is the president of Ultimate Fighting Championship, Dana White. Mr. White took to Twitter Saturday to tell viewers that he would be buying tickets for every UFC employee who wants to see it. The trafficking of children, he says, “is a disgusting, horrific issue that’s happening all around the world and it’s not getting  better, it’s getting worse.”

In a statement, Angel Studios’ head of theatrical distribution, Brandon Purdie, said the film’s performance so far has exceeded expectations, and attributed its success to word of mouth. The film gives fans the ability to buy “pay it forward” tickets on behalf of others, and company officials say as much as 20 percent of opening day sales were purchased through the pay it forward option.

“We’re deeply grateful to AMC, Cinemark, Regal, and all our theater partners — and their hard-working theater staff members — for working with us to accommodate the surging demand for this film and having the courage to release ‘Sound of Freedom’ during the busiest movie season of the year,” Mr. Purdie said.