Faith Film ‘Sarah’s Oil’ Opens in Top 5, Earns Rare A+ CinemaScore
A new faith-based movie from a pair of hit-making studios opened in the Top 5 over the weekend and got a warm reception from moviegoers with a perfect CinemaScore grade.
Sarah’s Oil (PG) opened at No. 5 at the box office with an estimated gross of $4,458,000, trailing only Predator: Badlands ($40 million), Regretting You ($7.1 million), and Black Phone 2 ($5.3 million). Among the weekend’s five new releases, Sarah’s Oil finished No. 2.
Meanwhile, moviegoers gave it a rare A+ CinemaScore grade, making it the only new film with a perfect rating. Predator: Badlands, by contrast, earned an A-.
Sarah’s Oil was inspired by true events and follows an 11-year-old African American girl who faces prejudice and opposition when oil is discovered underneath her land. That young girl, Sarah Rector, had been awarded the land due to her ancestor’s enslavement to members of the Creek Nation.
Movie critics liked the film, too.
Variety’s Joe Leydon applauded the leads – Naya Desir-Johnson and Zachary Levi – and labeled the film “irresistibly uplifting.”
“The period detail is impressive, the storytelling is engrossing, and the overall impact is pleasantly enjoyable,” Leydon wrote. “Don’t be surprised if favorable word of mouth enables ‘Sarah’s Oil’ to reach far beyond the customary target audience for faith-based entertainment.”
Avi Offer of NYCMovieGuru described it as “gripping, tender, well-acted and beautifully shot.”
Sarah’s Oil was made by Kingdom Story Company (Jesus Revolution, I Can Only Imagine, Ordinary Angels, and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever) and Wonder Project (House of David).
Filmmaker John Shepherd (Bella, The Ultimate Gift), one of the film’s producers, told Crosswalk Headlines the film spotlights “faith, family, and the importance of community.”
“I love stories that are about underdogs overcoming incredible adversity,” he said. “... This is a little girl who would not be denied. … She had this gift, and she believed it was a gift from God, and it was to be used for something.”
Rector was one of America’s first black millionaires.
Related Article
4 Reasons ‘Sarah’s Oil’ Is Worth Watching
Photo Credit: Wonder Project
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published November 10, 2025.
