The narrative follows young Sarah, a descendant of the Creek Freedmen, who is granted 160 acres of land in Oklahoma through a federal allotment program. Considered "worthless" and unfit for farming, the land was expected to yield nothing. The Discovery: Guided by a deep personal conviction—and in the film, a "God-given faith"—Sarah insists there is oil beneath the surface. The Conflict: After her family leases the land, an oil gusher produces over 2,000 barrels a day, making her incredibly wealthy overnight. This attracts "greedy oil sharks," corrupt officials, and white guardians who attempt to swindle her and control her fortune. The Resolution: Sarah fights back using her education—reading contracts and doing her own math—to protect her rights. She eventually moves to Kansas City to escape the dangers of the Jim Crow South and manages her wealth as a successful businesswoman.
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.[6][9]
Reception
Box office
It debuted at #4 at the box office for its opening weekend, grossing $4.5 million.[10]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of 12 critics' reviews are positive.The website's consensus reads: "A heartfelt tribute to trailblazer Sarah Rector's extraordinary journey, Sarah's Oil celebrates courage and perseverance, offering a wealthy well of wholesomeness for the entire family."[11][12] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare average grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
