The Wasteland Reviewer

Sarah’s Oil (2025) Written Review

Who is Sarah Rector? At the turn of the 1900s, Oklahoma was a land ripe with oil and powerful people at the time would do anything to strike big. The Oklahoma Indian Territory was a place with plenty of corruption, dreams, and tensions. Rector was a young black woman who was given land by the government due to her family’s history. Young Sarah had a strong intuition…and this intuition told her that an ocean of oil flowed beneath this seemingly barren land. Her story is brought to life by writer/director Cyrus Nowrasteh and co-writer Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh based on Tonya Bolden’s book “Searching for Sarah Rector”. 

Does Nowrasteh bring something interesting or dynamic to the presentation of Rector’s story? Sarah’s Oil is not the most dynamic-looking film, but it does have a well-made presentation. Johnny Derango does some solid work shooting the film but nothing that is going to stand out. From a tonal perspective, Nowrasteh is walking a tightrope between the darker elements of the film with murder, racism, and fraud while also trying to deliver an inspiring story rooted in faith. There are some jarring moments in the film as this does have violence against animals (trigger warning), the murder of children, and some blatant conflicts involving racial slurs. This film never feels like it fully embraces its darker elements and instead takes a softer and safer approach to the material. The faith-based elements do feel earnest and never feel overbearing or distracted from the story. The film is paced well as these 105 minutes move and generally engages the audience from start to finish. 

Do the Nowrasteh’s provide a narrative that does justice to Rector’s story? In many ways, Sarah’s Oil plays out like many familiar period dramas. This is an underdog story that highlights the struggle of a young woman of color whose birthright is threatened by powerful white men wanting the value that it has. There are not many surprises along the way (even if some of the moments are quite tragic). Sarah is portrayed as a strong-willed and rambunctious young woman. She can come off as a “perfect” character who is super intelligent and the perfect moral person which feels overly simplified. Most of the characters lack nuance or layers in their presentation that makes the story feel overly simple when this is a fascinating story. There are honestly a lot of similar elements in Sarah’s Oil to Killers of the Flower Moon, but you can feel the lack of weight in this film in comparison. The antagonists are mustache-twirling villains and purely evil monsters who are there to kill kids. The tone of the film feels like it would struggle to deliver a more layered perspective on the story. Sarah does really have an arc in the film. She stays steady and resolute, but it is Zachary Levi’s Bert who is forced to grow in the film (which honestly grabs focus from the young black girl in such a cliched way).

Does the cast add much to elevate Sarah’s Oil? Naya Desir-Johnson is a true breakout star from the film. Sarah might not be the most nuanced character, but Desir-Johnson delivers incredible presence and plenty of charisma. She is the true shining light of the film and makes the experience increasingly more interesting. Levi is quite inconsistent. When he is a charming rogue, he is quite a bit of fun. But the second he needs to get more serious, his overacting decisions with his eyes and his lack of control make those more emotional or intense moments lack a punch. Sonequa Martin-Green is a great addition to the film with strength and presence portraying Sarah’s mother. Garret Dillahunt is nefarious and intimidating as the evil oil tycoon trying to steal Sarah’s land. One of the biggest standouts of the film is Mel Rodriguez who portrays Bert’s partner in crime, Mace, and his character work gives the film added layers and empathy. Mace is one of the best characters in the whole film balancing heart and humor.

Is Sarah’s Oil a must-see biopic pick this fall movie season? This might be the most nuanced or compelling approach to this true story, but it is a fascinating enough story to ignore. Nowrasteh does a rock-solid job bringing this story to life with plenty of faith and heart at the core. A great breakout young performer certainly gives the film some added dimensions. There are some good supporting turns which help overcome one bit of miscasting. This is certainly quite an inspiring tale with an important story to tell on the big screen.