Sarah’s Oil
★★★
There’s something about a movie that hits close to home and for me, Sarah’s Oil definitely falls into that category.
Whitney took the girls to see it in theaters first, and they came back absolutely loving it. So when it landed on Prime Video, it felt like the perfect family movie night. And I’ll be honest, I was pretty riveted by the story.
The film follows the true story of eleven-year-old Sarah Rector, a Black girl born in Oklahoma Indian Territory in the early 1900s, who believes there is oil beneath the barren land and fights to profit from it without being taken advantage of or forced to sell. Residing in Oklahoma, there’s an immediate connection here, but even beyond that, it’s just a fascinating, lesser-known piece of history. The movie does a solid job of simplifying a complicated system into something easy to follow without losing the stakes.
Sarah (Naya. Desir-Johnson) is portrayed as incredibly intelligent and mature beyond her years. She handles negotiations and conversations in a way that feels almost unbelievable for her age, but it’s also inspiring. My youngest, Hayden, who’s around Sarah’s age, was completely drawn to her, which speaks to how accessible and empowering this story can be for families.
The film introduces a wildcatter, Bert played by Zachary Levi, who becomes a key ally and, in many ways, a proxy for Sarah in navigating the oil business. And this is where things get a little complicated.
Levi has undeniable movie star charisma. You’re naturally drawn to him whenever he’s on screen. But he also has a tendency to go just a touch over the top, and there’s a stretch in the film where it starts to feel like the story is shifting more toward his journey than Sarah’s. That creates an interesting tension, especially since the movie is clearly aware of and even calls out the white savior narrative. It knows the line it’s walking… but it still teeters on it.
To be fair, if this is truly how events played out, then the film is just honoring the facts. And overall, I do think it handles that balance reasonably well. But as a viewer, it made me a little nervous, especially because Sarah’s story is compelling enough to fully carry the film on its own.
On the villain side, Garret Dillahunt steps in as the face of the corrupt oil interests, and he’s exactly what you want here. One of those instantly recognizable “that guy” actors who can slip into a villainous role with ease and make it feel grounded.
Tonally, the film walks a very delicate line. It’s hard not to compare it to Killers of the Flower Moon, which explores similar subject matter in a much darker and more unflinching way. And watching Sarah’s Oil, you can’t shake the feeling that the real story was probably more sinister than what we’re shown.
Part of me wanted that deeper dive and to really sit in the darker truths of the story. But at the same time, I understand the choice. This film is clearly aiming to be accessible for families, and it succeeds in that regard. It’s something you can watch with your kids, and more importantly, something they can take inspiration from.
That’s not an easy balance to strike.
You can also feel the budget limitations at times. The film does a lot with what it has, but there are moments, especially late in the movie, where the effects or execution could have been a bit sharper. It makes you wonder what this story might have looked like with a bigger studio backing it.
Still, the core of the film works.
It’s engaging. It’s informative. And it tells a story that a lot of people, myself included, probably hadn’t heard before. These are the kinds of films that remind you why movies matter—they bring overlooked history into the conversation.
And honestly, in today’s world, the story hits a nerve. The themes of corruption, power and exploitation don’t feel confined to the past. If anything, they feel like a reminder that these dynamics have always existed and still do. That powerful companies and people don’t always have the best interests of smaller communities in mind.
At the end of the day, Sarah’s Oil may stay closer to the surface than I wanted, but it’s still a solid, meaningful and family-friendly film that tells an important story.
