Early this year, Ryan Coogler blessed us with Sinners. I am pleased to announce that I have found a movie with that vibe, excluding vampires. It carries the theme of greed, betrayal, repentance, and trust. The best part about it is the beautiful setting. Sarah’s Oil, released in the cinemas by Metro Goldwyn Mayer through Amazon MGM Studios on November 7th, 2025, is that movie that feels like a Christmas special.
Sarah’s Oil is based on a true-life story that happened in the 1900’s in the heart of Oklahoma. It tells the story of a little girl, Sarah Rector, who was blessed with the hard work of her ancestors. Not everybody was pleased with this blessing. They did all they could to take it from her even if it meant killing her.
This cinematic jewel was directed and written by Cyrus Nowrasteh and Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh. The film has an interesting cast. Actors like Zachary Levi, Naya Desir Johnson, Sonequa Martin Green, and Garret Dillahunt all brought the plot to life in their own strong way.
Premise
Sarah’s Oil sets its plot running in the heart of Taft, Oklahoma. This is where it centers on a little girl named Sarah Rector who just received the deed to her land and became its legitimate owner by land law. Sarah knew the land she was given, about 160 acres, was not ordinary land. It was one blessed with the black gold mineral resources anybody would kill to have.
Sarah puts her ears on the earth and hears the gushing sound of wealth underneath. She shares her findings with her parents. Her parents Joe and Rose Rector did not believe it when she told them. They let her know nobody would hand her a land filled with oil because they only let their kind have the no-good-land.
Sarah convinces them by saying God gave her the land for a reason and gave her the ears to hear what she heard. God is all you need to convince them because they are very religious. Joe decides to go to an oil well digging company to let them know what they may have found. Nobody believes them at first, until Sarah manages to convince Devnan, a chief partner in Pan Oklahoma Petroleum. He gives her guess a shot and agrees to follow her to see the land.
Unenthusiastic Devnan suddenly picks interest when his worker lets him know that a different rig has found oil miles away from Sarah’s land. Devnan knows the oil won’t be too far from hers. He started the pump and began the slow process of drilling. As the work progressed, he realized the opportunity to manipulate the situation for his benefit. He knows Sarah is smart, but he also knows she is the only literate one in the family. He goes to the father and tells Joe that he is abandoning the rig and that Sarah’s guess about the oil was wrong.
Joe turns to Sarah and lets her know it didn’t work out, even though the well had already been dug one thousand feet deep. Sarah is sad, and just when she is about to lose hope, the next day, after Devnan and his team have gone, an investor shows up on their porch. He offers them six dollars per plot. Rose grows suspicious of the offer and declines it. She decides to take her family out and let Joe bury the deed.
As they are out in the night burying it, two goons drive over and begin ransacking their home. They eventually shoot at Sarah’s dog that came barking at them. The dog goes missing and Sarah sets out in the morning to look for it.
While searching, she sees a familiar face, Bert, who had been nice to her at a cafe shop. She reintroduces herself and tells him about the oil and Pan Oklahoma Petroleum’s shady activity. Bert is a gold chaser. He and his friend Mace decide to pay Sarah’s house a visit and he confirms what she said to be true.
Bert and Mace begin drilling for oil. Just when they strike the big one, Devnan comes back armed and ready to fight little Sarah for what she discovered.
The tension in this part of the film rises fast. One moment you are watching a determined little girl with hope still in her heart. The next moment, danger circles her family from every side. It becomes clear that the land is only part of the battle. The real fight is against men who believe a child, especially a black child, has no right to anything valuable.
It keeps you wondering. Will justice prevail, or will Devnan kill her before she gets the chance to fight for what is lawfully hers.
Cast and Performances
Zachary Levi as Bert
Although Sarah’s Oil is based on a true life story, Zachary’s character was completely fictional. He nailed his role to the bone. Zachary played Bert, a wildcatter, investor, and speculator. He calls himself an enterprise-free businessman who would one day be richer than King Midas himself. I am not making this up. It is literally what he calls him in the movie.
Bert has been on a swindling scheme where he cons widows for money. Meeting little Sarah changes his life completely. He becomes burdened with the responsibility of being a better man and adjusting his dreams. He does both at the same time and that is what makes him interesting.
Bert plays a key role in Sarah’s success. He is one character that feels right to be in the movie. His banter, his rough edges, and his subtle kindness all add something warm to the story.
Naya Desir Johnson as Sarah
Naya plays Sarah, an audacious little girl who knows exactly what she wants and how to get there. Naya’s role as Sarah is not just a character. It is a message. It speaks to everyone who assumes educating young girls is a waste of resources. The character Sarah perfectly debunks that ideology. How she stands up for what is hers is something admirable and worthy to emulate. Naya plays her role with so much grace. I have a strong feeling this is her best one yet. She is so young, and opportunities will be all over her.
Sonequa Martin Green as Rose
Sonequa as Rose is a delight. Despite Rose’s lack of formal education, a strong black woman will always be a strong black woman. She is a woman of quiet strength who stands strong when her family is threatened. Sonequa plays the role of Sarah’s mom, a woman always concerned about her daughter’s decisions, and stands by her with a firm, quiet love. She does not hesitate to warn anyone who tries to disrupt the peace or safety of her family.
Garret Dillahunt as Devnan
Have you ever seen an actor act so well that you start to hate them? If not, then you need to watch Garret’s performance as Devnan in Sarah’s Oil. He starts off as sweet and understanding. Later, he becomes someone sinister who is blinded by greed. He goes to any lengths to get what he wants. Despite being trusted by Sarah and her signing a lease with him, he tries to double-cross her.
As a chief partner in Pan Oklahoma Petroleum, Devnan deploys devious means to achieve his selfish goals. Even though he is the antagonist, he antagonizes perfectly. I loved his performance all through because he gives the story its sharp edge.
Kenric Green as Joe
Kenric plays Joe, the ever supportive father who is ready to make sure he has his daughter’s back one hundred percent. Even if it means risking his life. Quite similar to my dad if I am being honest.
Kenric’s performance is true to its cause. He earns your sympathy all through. There is a scene where his daughter tries to decide which store to enter because he cannot read the signs. He gets shoved out and embarrassed but he still keeps going.
Mel Rodriguez as Mace
Mel plays Mace, the truest friend to Bert. He stays with him despite all his shenanigans. Even though he is the exact opposite of who Bert is, their friendship is crude and beautiful to watch. Talking about Mel’s character will come with a lot of spoilers, so I will keep it neutral. He is one character you will love anytime he comes on screen.
What I Liked
The settings. I just realized I am a fan of the 1800s and 1900s settings. Seeing the cars and buildings on set was very exciting for me. I had the same excitement when I first saw Sinners in the cinema. And when it happened again in Sarah’s Oil, I knew I had picked the right movie to review.
My hat is literally coming off for Naya’s performance. It is hard to watch a child lead in a movie because you expect amateur acting. You usually give them grace by saying they are children, but it wasn’t the case here; in fact, it was the opposite.
Naya brings an intense seriousness to her performance that belies her age. She plays like an adult and far better than many others if we are comparing. No, I won’t be mentioning anyone from Black Phone 2. I found her performance lovely to watch. I only hope she does not face the stereotype of receiving roles that cast her as a marginalized person of colour.
Sarah’s Oil has a solid plot; they took a real-life story and told it in a way that makes it absolutely cinematic. The Nowrastehs dropped a big one on us.
What I Didn’t Like
The movie is not getting the hype it deserves. I want to see it all over social media, just like the others. Or are people waiting for it to get to Netflix like Frankenstein before it blows up?
Movies like these are best experienced in the cinema. The beautiful cinematography pours down on you and you get to see every detail possible.
Aside from marketing and publicity, what I do not like is the fact that the retakes were obvious. I could tell how many times a scene was taken. Not because of the different angles alone. The change in mood and atmosphere gave it away. It takes you out of the moment a lot.
But even with that tiny flaw, Sarah’s Oil remains a beautiful story.
Verdict
Right from the moment the movie opens, I knew I was in for something that would feel intentional. Even the silence between scenes carries weight, almost like the land itself is speaking. I love when a story leans into the atmosphere without losing its clarity, and Sarah’s Oil does this so well.
If you loved Sinners, you will love Sarah’s Oil, and this is one movie you can see with the entire family, no age restrictions. It tells the story of truth, culture, and historical essentials that weren’t taught in school. Sarah’s Oil is the movie you need to see before the year ends.
My Rating
Sarah’s Oil is a cinematic statement, and it bagged a deserving 4 out of 5
Will you be adding Sarah’s Oil to your Christmas watchlist?
Author
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