Sarah's Oil is a 2025 American biographical drama film about Sarah Rector, directed, co-produced, and co-written by Cyrus Nowrasteh. It is inspired by the 2014 book Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America by Tonya Bolden. It stars Zachary Levi, Naya Desir-Johnson, Sonequa Martin-Green, and Garret Dillahunt.
Released theatrically by Amazon MGM Studios on November 7, 2025, Sarah's Oil received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $12 million at the box office on a $18 million production budget.
Contents
Plot
In 1913 Sarah Rector, as a descendant of the Muscogee Nation, is granted nearly 160 acres of uncultivated land in Glenpool, Oklahoma under the terms of the Reconstruction Treaties. With the encouragement of her mother Rose, Sarah believes that the land beneath their home is rich in oil. Sarah convinces her reluctant father Joe to make a deal with local oil executive Jim Devnan to conduct a preliminary exploration of the land. Though Devnan's company discovers that the Rectors' land is rich in oil, he withhold this information from the family, seeking to steal the oil from the African American family.
Devnan sends his two henchmen Earl and Jimsye to steal Sarah's deed to the land but they fail to recover the document. However, they shoot and wound Sarah's dog, causing it to flee. Unable to trust Devnan, Sarah hires the services of the wildcatter Bert Smith and his Mexican business partner Mace. Using the equipment left behind by Devnan's oil company, Sarah and her business partners Smith and Mace begin exploring the land beneath for oil.
Seeking to extract the oil beneath the Rectors' land, Devnan unsuccessfully attempts to buy off the land from Sarah but is rebuffed by Smith, who sees through his ruse. Devnan then pursues legal action against the Rectors, alleging a breach of contract. This lawfare coincides with the killings of two Osage children during a land dispute. In response, the Rectors solicit the services of a White civil rights attorney named Kate Barnard and a Black journalist named Mr Pharr, who help publicize their case to the national media.
Devnan sends Earl and Jimsye to assassinate Sarah and her brother Junior but the two children flee into the bush. Local police and Osage tribal police apprehend the assassins. Before the Rectors, Smith and Bert can extract the oil, Devnan and his employees attempt to seize the land and oil rig by force. Devnan also attempts to blow up the Rectors' oil rig with explosives but Smith thwarts his plan by revealing that he has rewired the explosives around Devnan's oil rig, ensuring mutual assured destruction in the event of hostilities.
Devnan is subsequently arrested for his crimes while Barnard helps the Rectors' to secure their land ownership through the court system. Devnan and Smith part as friends. The film mentions that Sarah became an oil millionaire.
Cast
Zachary Levi as Bert Smith
Naya Desir-Johnson as Sarah Rector
Tamala Jones voices the older Sarah
Sonequa Martin-Green as Rose Rector, Sarah's mother
Garret Dillahunt as Devnan
Mel Rodriguez as Mace
Kenric Green as Joe Rector, Sarah's father
Bridget Regan as Kate Barnard
Ryan O'Quinn as Eddie Caron
Adyan Copes as Junior Rector, Sarah's younger brother
Stelio Savante as Earl
Marco Fuller as Jimsye
Jonathan Lipnicki as a chemist
Selase Botchway as Mr. Pharr
Production
In July 2024, principal photography was underway in Oklahoma for Sarah's Oil, which was directed, co-produced, and co-written by Cyrus Nowrasteh with Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh. In August, filming had wrapped, when Zachary Levi, Naya Desir-Johnson, Sonequa Martin-Green, Garret Dillahunt, Bridget Regan, Kenric Green, Adyan Copes, Stelio Savante, and Mel Rodriguez were revealed to have joined the cast.
The film was shot primarily in Okmulgee, Oklahoma.
Release
Sarah's Oil was released in the United States on November 7, 2025 by Amazon MGM Studios, having been moved ahead from its original December 25, 2025 date.
Reception
Box office
It debuted at #4 at the box office for its opening weekend, grossing $4.5 million.
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 86% of 14 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare average grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale.
Joe Leydon of Variety gave Sarah's Oil a positive review, praising the performances of Naya Desir-Johnson and Zachary Levi as Sarah and Bert. Leydon compared the film's story to Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, "describing it as a more family-friendly movie that nonetheless offers a similarly cautionary history lesson." While observing that the film toned down graphic violence, Leydon praised the film for capturing the racism and discrimination faced by Black American people living in the United States at the time. Praising the production values and storytelling, Leydon said that the film had the potential to reach beyond its target faith-based audience.
Val Moore of "Blackfilm.com" praise the film for highlighting the story of Sarah Rector and the history of Black entrepreneurship.
