Main Topic – Sarah’s Oil Trailer (2:37)
from Amazon MGM Studios | Blog # 2
Directed by: Cyrus Nowrasteh
Review Written by: James B. Wreh
Introduction
The new Sarah’s Oil trailer from
Amazon MGM puts its young lead, Naya Desir-Johnson, in the spotlight — and it’s
a reminder of the unique challenges child actors face. I’ve discussed this
before on my podcast, from learning lines and blocking to keeping up with
school while filming — see link to Episode 1 (2023): https://youtu.be/7Tr_yyehvjg (specifically at the 24:45 mark, where I start talking about casting
kids/teens).
Nerdy note: At a very young age, Naya
Desir-Johnson already has an executive producer credit to her name — for the
2023 short film All the Gaps. Whether she was hands-on or more behind
the scenes, that’s a rare accomplishment before even headlining a feature film,
and it’s something she can carry with her as her career grows.
While I’m not a production insider, I
know enough about what happens on set to appreciate the skill here. In this
trailer, the writing, the dialogue, and the lead performance — especially from
the young actress — work together to deliver something memorable.
Overall Impressions
This trailer came across my feed a few
days ago after its initial release. This isn’t a big tentpole or blockbuster
film, but I still believe it’s an important film and an important story — one
that probably should have already been out for the world to see, but I’m glad
the story will be available for everyone to see and learn about now.
With this trailer and the upcoming
November 7th release date (release dates may shift, as is common in the
industry), I was intrigued. Once I started watching this 2:37 trailer, it was
the young lead, portraying Sarah Richter, who held my attention the entire time
— though I also enjoyed Zachary Levi’s presence in the footage, and his accent
— I enjoyed that too.
Let me point out that this is only the
trailer, and my thoughts are based solely on what I’ve seen in this short
preview. From the footage presented, I liked what I saw — but my opinion could
change in either direction once I see the full film and its complete story play
out.
Writing & Performance
The standout for me is the combination
of the writing by Tonya Bolden, Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh, and Cyrus Nowrasteh
(who is also the director) — and the execution of the acting by the young
actress, Naya Desir-Johnson. No one knows (except the director, cast, and crew)
how the full film will play, but in my personal, outside opinion as a fan of
film and the arts, it appears that a good portion of this story will be heavy
on dialogue, with some small action set pieces.
Of course, I could be wrong — the movie
hasn’t been released yet and won’t until November 2025 — but that’s my takeaway from
this trailer. For a young actress to bring this script to life with such nuance
is, to me, amazing.
Considering what I mentioned earlier in
my introduction, this is high-level acting in my opinion. We’ll all have to
wait until the film releases to see how it plays in terms of pacing, her screen
time, and her interactions with the other actors — as well as how the dialogue
works in those moments, some of which we’ve already seen glimpses of in the
trailer.
Conclusion
Lastly, I will say that this film looks
like it will have heart, and even within 2:37 of footage, it seems likely that
I’ll enjoy the relationship that develops between Zachary Levi’s character and
Naya Desir-Johnson’s.
This is only the trailer, but to me,
that relationship might be an essential part of the film — maybe even the heart
of it. Of course, we’ll have to wait until November to see. My thoughts now are
based solely on this preview, and as always, they’re subject to change after
seeing the complete film.
November 2025 is shaping up to be a great
month of films with variety — for me, it will include Sarah’s Oil, The
Running Man, and Wicked Part 2: Wicked for Good.
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