With so many untold Black stories still waiting for the big screen, Sarah’s Oil feels like a necessary breath of fresh air. Executive produced by Ciara and Russell Wilson, the period drama steps back into early 1900s Oklahoma where Naya Desir-Johnson brings the remarkable story of Sarah Rector, the Black girl who became one of America’s first millionaires, to life.
Directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh, the film takes a traditional historical-drama approach, leaning into the “history lesson” style used in films like Selma. Instead of reshaping the era for cinematic flair, Sarah’s Oil commits to telling Rector’s real story, an 11-year-old Black descendant of Creek Indians who inherited a parcel of land through the Treaty of 1866 and found herself sitting on an oil reserve that changed her life, and threatened it.
Young Naya Desir-Johnson carries the film with a grounded performance that captures Sarah’s intelligence, determination, and emotional depth. The movie opens with Sarah’s conviction that her land holds promise. When she persuades her father, Joe (Kenric Green), to ask local oil barons for permission to drill, the family quickly learns that being Black, land-owning, and smart in Jim Crow Oklahoma is dangerous in itself.
Of course, Sarah and her family gain an unlikely ally as they battles white businessmen intent on stealing Sarah’s inheritance through intimidation, fraud, and outright violence. Bert, a prospector played by Zachary Levi, joins Sarah and her parents, helping them to navigate a world where survival requires equal parts dignity and strategy.
Some viewers may spot echoes of the “magical Negro” trope in the way the plot leans on Bert’s internal transformation. But the heart of the story remains firmly with Sarah, whose business savvy and courage drive the narrative. Her real-life rise, earning millions after leasing her land to Standard Oil, is nothing less than extraordinary.
Though the film does not focus on the later chapter of Sarah’s life, including the loss of much of her wealth during the Great Depression, it embraces the uplifting arc of her early journey. Her legacy, from navigating oil rights to eventually hosting glamorous jazz-era soirées in Kansas City with legends like Duke Ellington and Count Basie, gives viewers a vivid portrait of a girl who refused to be cheated out of her future.
Stories like like Sarah Rector’s, have long been overlooked. But Sarah’s Oil is part of a growing wave of films reclaiming that history. And while the film plays safely within the boundaries of traditionally uplifting biopics, it remains worth the watch for one simple reason, Sarah Rector existed. Her story deserves this moment.
If Naya Desir-Johnson’s face looks familiar it should. The talented rising star has credits that include starring on The Equalizer, Pose, A Thousand and One, among others. Sarah’s Oil is now showing in theaters nationwide.
Photo Credit: Naya Desir-Johnson Instagram
