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Sarah's Oil 2025 Movie: A Hidden Gem

I found myself getting a little choked up during the final scene when Sarah and Burt say goodbye. Burt tells her that she was the only person who ever cared about his soul.

Mel Rodriguez, Naya Desir-Johnson and Zachary Levi in Sarah's Oil (2025)
Distributed by Amazon MGM Studios

Friend and fellow movie maker and enthusiast Fr. Moylan told me several times that I had to watch the 2025 film Sarah's Oil. While on a flight to Nashville, I was excited to see it was one of the movie options, so I happily watched it.

I was even more excited when I saw Zachary Levi in the cast and who also served as one of the film's producers. Up until this point I only knew him as the voice of Flynn Rider in Tangled. Throughout the film I kept telling myself I had to have seen him in something else, but I could never remember what. The harder I thought about it, the more I became convinced he looked like Aaron Lynch.

Directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh and based on a true story, Sarah's Oil ended up being one of the most enjoyable surprises I've watched in a while. I'm honestly surprised Angel Studios—or even Pure Flix—hasn't picked it up.

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A Powerful True Story of Faith and Perseverance

The story begins after Oklahoma becomes a state, when a handful of Black families are granted land. Sarah inherits her property when she is only ten years old. With the property taxes coming due, her father wants to sell the land, but Sarah is convinced that God gave her ears to hear the oil beneath the ground.

Everyone else thinks she's chasing an impossible dream, but Sarah never doubts what she believes God has shown her.

After striking a deal with a drilling company, Sarah's hopes are quickly dashed when the prospectors declare there is no oil and abandon the well, leaving their equipment behind. Most people would have accepted defeat, but Sarah isn't most people. She convinces Burt Smith, "a finder, getter, wildcatterer, investor, speculator" played by Zachary Levi, and his partner Mace to take one last chance.

Even when everyone around her insists the prospects aren't good, Sarah refuses to give up.

READ: Homestead Movie Review: A Thought-Provoking Blend of Action, Drama, and Christian Values

As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that this isn't really a treasure hunt. Yes, Sarah wants to prove that the land is rightfully hers and that oil really is hidden beneath it. But even more than that, she wants to save Burt from the path his reckless life is leading him down. That relationship becomes the true heart of the film, and it's what makes the story so much more memorable than simply waiting to see whether they strike oil.

The suspense builds when the original drilling company returns, demanding its equipment and claiming the mineral rights. With betrayal and danger at every turn, the remaining crew stakes everything on one final attempt to reach the oil by blasting open the well. Will the equipment collapse into the cavern below, or will the oil finally be released from the earth?

The Greatest Treasure Wasn't the Oil

Zachary Levi and Naya Desir-Johnson in Sarah's Oil (2025)
Distributed by Amazon MGM Studios

The faith in this movie is one of its greatest strengths because it feels natural. It isn't preachy or over-the-top, but it also isn't afraid to show people trusting God when everything seems hopeless. Every actor does a great job, but Zachary Levi was easily my favorite. Burt is funny, flawed, stubborn, and surprisingly lovable. 

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I found myself getting a little choked up during the final scene when Sarah and Burt say goodbye. Burt tells her that she was the only person who ever cared about his soul.

"You talked to me about my soul. Ain't nobody ever done that. Ain't nobody ever cared."

That line perfectly sums up what this movie is really about. The oil may be what brings everyone together, but it's the salvation of a soul that ends up being the greatest treasure of all.

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